DC-CAP Names Eight DC High School Seniors Murdoch Scholars

DC-CAP Names Eight DC High School Seniors Murdoch Scholars

News Corp To Provide Four-Year College Scholarships And Mentors For Students

Washington, D.C., June 10, 2014 - Today, the DC College Access Program (DC-CAP) announced that, thanks to a grant from News Corp, eight DC-CAP high school seniors have been named 2014 Murdoch Scholars and will be receiving four-year college scholarships.

The Murdoch Scholars, named for News Corp Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch, will also be connected with News Corp mentors to provide guidance during their first year of college. The eight young men selected are members of DC-CAP's Alpha Leadership Program (ALP), which aims to help African American and Latino young men improve academic achievement and increase the possibility that they will graduate from high school and be socially and academically prepared to enroll and graduate from college.

The ALP initiative, which relies on community volunteers who serve as mentors to the young men, was launched in 2007 and currently operates in five DC public and public charter high schools. The News Corp grant to DC-CAP provides $60,000 per student over four years, and includes $20,000 to be used to support related programming, for a total contribution of $500,000.

We are truly honored that News Corp is making this investment in these eight remarkable young men, said Ms. Rodriguez. These funds are critically important in helping each of these students close the gap of their unmet financial need that still exists even after our team has worked with them to secure scholarship support. Since we launched the Alpha Leadership Program, we have seen more than 600 young men grow and develop and set their sights on college. And this remarkable investment is a testament to News Corp's commitment to opening doors of opportunity for disadvantaged youth. We know these young men will make them proud.

Rupert Murdoch often speaks of his strong belief in the power of education to open doors of opportunity for young people, said Robert Thomson, Chief Executive of News Corp. The Murdoch Scholars initiative is a reflection of that ideal. As part of News Corp's global philanthropic efforts, we are very pleased to support eight high school seniors in the District of Columbia who have overcome many obstacles and now have a chance to create a new future for themselves and their families through a college education.

The 2014 Murdoch Scholars are:

Kibrebeal Ayalew, Coolidge Senior High School, attending Penn State University

Emmanuel Atufu , Wilson Senior High School, attending University of Delaware

Steven Davis, Coolidge Senior High School, attending Delaware State University

Francisco Garcia, Capital City Public Charter School, attending Marshall University

Da'Quan Jones, Roosevelt Senior High School, attending Hampton University

Arthur Kom-Sipowa, Roosevelt Senior High School, attending Marshall University

Charles West, Dunbar Senior High School, attending York College of Pennsylvania

Uchechukwu Ukaegbu, Wilson Senior High School, attending George Washington University

According to the Schott Foundation for Public Education, the graduation rate for African American males for the nation as a whole in 2001/2002 was 42 percent while the graduation rate for white students was 71 percent. In other words, the drop-out rate for Black males was twice that for White males. These startling statistics and the discouraging disparities they conveyed were the impetus for DC-CAP creating the Alpha Leadership Program, explained DC-CAP's Rodriguez.

Since ALP launched as a pilot in 2007, DC-CAP has seen dramatic changes in the high school graduation rates and the college going culture among the young men they are reaching. The program begins in 9th grade with a cohort of approximately 125 9thgrade African American and Latino male students and their parent(s) and guardians from five DC public and public charter high schools: Capital City Public Charter High School, Coolidge Senior High School, Dunbar Senior High School, Roosevelt Senior High School and Wilson Senior High School.

The year-long program consists of three major components: parent training, personal development, and positive peer pressure. After the first year, the students graduate to the Alpha Leadership Fraternity, which offers a positive peer pressure environment that includes official induction rites, standards of behavior, an honor code, grade point average requirements, and a solemn commitment to leadership, service and excellence

Some of the positive results of the program include:

Among the young men who have participated in ALP, 86% have graduated from high school, which is significantly higher than the average graduation rate among African-American/Latino males in DC.

Each year, 80 percent of the ALP freshmen who complete the program participate in the Alpha Leadership Fraternity.

DC-CAP now supports more than 70 ALP students currently in college and expects the first ALP members to graduate in 2015 year.

For more information on News Corp's philanthropic work, visit newscorp.com/citizenship/.

About DC-CAP

DC-College Access Program (DC-CAP) is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping all DC students prepare for, enroll in, and graduate from college as the cornerstone of a successful future. Since 1999, DC-CAP has worked with parents and educational partners, inspiring, counseling and providing fundamental support to help low income DC students believe that college is possible, find the path to get there and complete their education. By building long-term relationships and connections, DC-CAP is with students every step of the way, helping them to navigate the complex waters of the college application and financial aid process as well as providing integral support while they are in college. DC-CAP has helped m

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