Thurgood Marshall College Fund Hosts Award-Winning

Washington, DC, Oct. 28, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will come to Washington, DC to participate in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund's (TMCF's) award-winning Leadership Institute, November 8-12, 2013 at the Washington Hilton.

Every year, for the last 12 years, 500 of the best and brightest students attending publicly-supported HBCUs traveled to New York City to participate in a professional development and recruitment fair hosted by TMCF.  This year marks the first time the hand-picked group of student scholars will come to Washington, D.C. to participate in TMCF's award-winning Leadership Institute.

Recently recognized by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) with its 2013 Summit Award, which recognizes organizations that provide exceptional examples of associations going above and beyond their organizational mission to make America and the world a better place to live, the TMCF Leadership Institute gives talented future leaders a one-of-a-kind intensive professional and career development experience as well as an opportunity to network and interview with some of the nation's top executives and elite graduate school recruiters. 

"We think of ourselves as a matchmaker of sorts - inviting the best employers and graduate schools to personally meet the best HBCU students," says TMCF President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr .  "What we know is that, whenever 500 incredibly talented, diverse students meet over 50 premier employers and graduate schools, sparks fly and mutually-beneficial post-undergraduate relationships emerge."

During the first part of the conference, students participate in sessions taught by "faculty" from the nation's premier senior executives on leadership development, career management, life skills, financial literacy and global competitiveness.  The second part of the conference students will take all they have learned and been exposed to, dress up in their best interview attire, and compete for coveted internships and full-time jobs with companies like Wells Fargo, Wal-Mart, Altria, Bloomberg, and CNN or graduate school seats at Harvard University, Howard University School of Law, Princeton University and more.  For a complete list of recruiters and graduate schools, visit TMCF's website at http://thurgoodmarshallfund.net/leadership-in...tment-fair .

TMCF wraps-up the Leadership Institute by hosting 1,800 of its closest friends at a black-tie gala saluting community, business, and education leaders. This year, America's Favorite Dad, Bill Cosby and Broadway's original Dreamgirl , Jennifer Holliday will join the reigning Miss America, Nina Davuluri and Four-Star US Army General, Dennis Via to host an impressive group of Congressional Members, Fortune 500 executives, and HBCU Presidents/Chancellors at the Washington Hilton on Veteran's Day, November 11 ^th .

"TMCF's Leadership Institute is recognized because it changes lives.  Every year, employers call me up to say how inspired they were to meet and interact with TMCF student scholars from schools their recruiters never would've considered as a source of strong talent for their workforce pipeline," said Taylor. "At the same time, in the weeks following the Institute, I receive hundreds of emails from students who say the leadership sessions literally changed their lives and exposed them to post-college opportunities that would've never crossed their minds. The TMCF Leadership Institute is how we deliver on our mission to Change the World One Leader at a Time!"

Media Contact:  Tangie Newborn, tangie@immensesolutions.com, 301-526-9017 

####

ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND (TMCF)

TMCF is named for the U.S. Supreme Court's first African-American Justice. Established in 1987, TMCF supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending its 47 member-schools that include public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), medical schools and law schools. Through its scholarships and programs, TMCF plays a key role in preparing the leaders of tomorrow. For more information about TMCF and its initiatives, visit www.thurgoodmarshallcollegefund.org .