Partnership with Molloy College, St. Joseph’s College combines scholarship and internships for success.
Austin Williams has created a new scholarship program designed to help students of color pursue careers in marketing and advertising.
In partnership with AW clients Molloy College in Rockville Centre and St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, the program was created as a tangible response to the Black Lives Matter movement that has identified educational and employment inequities throughout the American economy. Focusing on its industry, Austin Williams seeks to provide access and opportunity to students of color seeking careers in advertising, marketing and digital spaces.
“We weren’t just going to slap a black band on our social media and pretend we’ve accomplished something,” said Eva LaMere, president of Austin Williams. “Every agency in our industry has an obligation to do something tangible that helps young people of color—the marketing and advertising professionals of the future—pursue their dreams free from barriers that have been put in their path because of the color of their skin. We’re walking the walk.”
The program will focus equally on education and internship, first awarding scholarships to students in their freshman and sophomore years. The program continues with paid internships at Austin Williams for those same students in their junior and senior years. Throughout, Austin Williams team members will serve as mentors for the students, assessing their course work, and offering advice and guidance for their future job prospects.
“This is the kind of tangible program of which young people of color are in need and in which we are proud to play a leading role,” said James P. Lentini, Ph.D., president of Molloy College. “We salute Austin Williams for their leadership in helping our students pursue their academic and employment dreams in the advertising and marketing sectors.”