Jarvis Christian College Students Selected for Harvard University Program

One thing a college president has to do is keep their ears and eyes open for opportunities for their students. Dr. Lester C. Newman, the president of UNCF-member institution Jarvis Christian College (JCC), is always seeking ways of enhancing the opportunities of JCC students.

As a member of the HBCU-ETS Steering Committee that was established for the Education Testing Services (ETS), he often learns of interesting and unique opportunities that are available to students. In a recent teleconference, his interest was piqued when he learned that Harvard University was affording students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) the opportunity to earn a Certificate of Readiness (COR) through Harvard Business School Online. Immediately, a team of faculty and staff were pulled together to select students and meet the deadline. Two students were selected and were ultimately accepted into the program.

For the next four months, these students will be immersed in courses, real life problem solving and global connections. They are enrolled in three courses, business analytics, economics for managers and financial accounting. They will have graduate student mentors who will assist them in navigating through this process and faculty who will keep them engaged.

When Natasha Coleman-Ball, a recent honor graduate, heard that she had been selected, with excitement she stated, “The opportunity to participate in such a program at Harvard University is thrilling. Even after my graduation from Jarvis Christian College, it is still opening doors for me and it is my job to walk through them.” Yeremia Kibangu, a sophomore who was accepted stated, “I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of this program at Harvard University. When I enrolled at Jarvis Christian College, I never imagined this would be an option for me. This program will enhance my financial services acumen and expand my networking opportunities.”

Dr. Newman stated, “At Jarvis Christian College, our goal is to ensure that students who attend here have every opportunity to be the best they can be. Being able to put on your resume that you completed and earned a certificate from Harvard University is a great accomplishment for our students.”

Jarvis Christian College is a historically black liberal arts four-year institution affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The mission of the College is to prepare a diverse population of lifelong learners intellectually, socially, spiritually, and personally through providing interactive services and using varied modalities of instructional delivery