from left: Alum and Conn’s executive Michael Luckett, II, Office of Housing Director Jennifer Wilder, and William Hudson, Jr., vice president for Student Affairs, at Polkinghorne Village after the furniture delivery.
Florida A&M University (FAMU) and Conn’s HomePlus, a specialty retailer of furniture, mattresses, home appliances, and consumer electronics, announced the Conn’s Cohort Scholarship/Internship Program for 2021.
Conn’s HomePlus will award two FAMU recipients with scholarships worth $10,000 annually for four years, a paid internship to provide hands-on work experience related to the students’ academic studies, internship housing accommodations in Houston, and travel to/from the summer internship site, including roundtrip airfare.
The new scholarship will support students enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with majors in retail sales, technology and supply chain management. The scholarship is open to FAMU undergraduate freshmen and high school seniors heading to the Tallahassee campus. Texas Southern University students are also part of the 2021 cohort of the program.
“Florida A&M University welcomes this partnership that provides vital scholarships and internships for our students,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D. “The biggest challenge faced by many of our students is financial not academic. The Conn’s Cohort program will ensure that talented students can finish in four years and go on to productive careers in their chosen field.”
Through the efforts of Conn’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, these scholarships are being awarded to students at two of the top HBCUs in the country. Conn’s believes now is the time to show support for students in their own communities. This scholarship, which represents an initial commitment from the company of $160,000 over the next four years, is one step of many Conn’s is taking to foster diversity and inclusion initiatives.
“There is a lot of work to be done in order to move forward with intent and action that will truly yield change and make a positive impact,” said Norm Miller, CEO of Conn’s HomePlus. “Texas Southern University is located minutes away from our corporate headquarters in Houston, and with our recent entrance into Florida, we are pleased to make an immediate and meaningful impact to the Florida A&M University community.”
Students interested in applying must first reach out to the school’s resource center, preceding their first semester of enrollment, to coordinate application submission details, then submit a 500-word essay on current trends in business, technology or consumer habits that are impacting today’s retail sales.
To celebrate the partnership between Conn’s HomePlus and FAMU, the company donated more than $20,000 in brand new furniture to the school to enhance its community spaces.
FAMU alumnus Michael Luckett II, executive director of Logistics & IT Management at Conn’s headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas, was on hand for the furniture delivery at the Polkinghorne Villages, Tuesday. The partnership has two goals, Luckett said.
“We’ve donated furniture and electronics to both institutions in the hopes of raising awareness of our brand,” said Luckett, a 1996 FAMU-FSU College of Engineering graduate. “Also, it’s about partnering with the schools to build a pipeline for the students and a talent pipeline for our organization.”
For more information on Conn’s HomePlus, visit http://www.conns.com.
