24 Apr Richmond Promise to Host 10th Annual Scholar Celebration May 28

2020 Richmond Promise scholarship recipients Jazmelina Ledesma, left, and Cynthia Ramirez-Parra. (Courtesy of Richmond Promise / file)

CC Pulse Staff Report

Richmond Promise will celebrate a decade of service to Richmond students when it honors its newest group of scholars May 28 at the Richmond Art Center. The event will be the 10th annual gathering to honor the student scholars.

It is designed to give the scholars, family, friends and community an opportunity to celebrate as the students get ready to graduate from high school and move on to postsecondary education.

The event takes place from 5 to 7 p.m., is free and open to the public. There will be light refreshments, activities, alumni speakers and the recognition of Richmond Promise’s newest graduating class.

Promise officials say more than 500 students are set to join the organization this year, the largest incoming group since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The scholar celebration is our community’s chance to show our youth that Richmond supports their higher education journeys,” said RP Executive Director Christopher Whitmore. “As our incoming scholars prepare for higher education, we want them to feel joyous, excited and motivated, and it takes our entire community to help them establish that strong start.”

Since its beginning in 2016, Richmond Promise has helped more than 3,700 young people make their way to and through post-secondary education. It currently serves more than 1,300 scholars pursuing associate and bachelor’s degrees and career technical education certifications at more than 200 colleges and universities across the United States.

The majority of Richmond Promise scholars identify as people of color, first-generation college students, and students from low-income backgrounds.

The upcoming annual scholar celebration is Richmond Promise’s largest event as it welcomes the newest cohort of Richmond youth who are supported through a multi-year scholarship and services.

Organizations interested in sponsoring the event can contact Director of Development Hannah Dworkin at hdworkin@richmondpromise.org. For more information on the Richmond Promise Scholarship as well as support services available for RP Scholars, visit richmondpromise.org.