UNCF EMERGE College and Career Readiness Initiative Provides Scholarship Resources to Prospective College Students

by Marlena Chertock |

Dr. Veda Ramsay Stamps, regional development director, Los Angeles, UNCF, walks students and parents through applying for scholarships on UNCF's scholarship portal during an EMERGE College and Career Readiness Initiative workshop. Students sit in desks throughout the room.

UNCF’s EMERGE College and Career Readiness Initiative connects high school students with leaders in film, finance, entrepreneurship and media, providing them with real-world mentorship and inspiration. The initiative, organized by the UNCF Los Angeles office, held two workshops in fall 2025, in partnership with the Crenshaw and Weingart Wellness and Aquatic Center YMCAs in Los Angeles, CA.

A variety of speakers encouraged students to apply for as many scholarships as possible and start saving now in order to avoid debt and negative impacts to their credit scores.

Florida A&M (FAMU) tabled at UNCF's EMERGE College and Career Readiness Initiative workshop at YMCAs in Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Veda Ramsay Stamps, regional development director, Los Angeles, UN

CF, who established and co-leads the project, shared key scholarships from UNCF. Ray Cunningham III, development associate, UNCF, served as project coordinator and played a pivotal role in advancing the initiative.

On December 17, 2025, twenty-five YMCA Youth & Government students gathered at the Crenshaw Y. Earlier, on October 15, 2025, more than 40 students and their parents attended a workshop session. Representatives from UNCF and several UNCF-member HBCUs were present, including Clark Atlanta University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical (Florida A&M) University, Philander Smith University, Talladega College, Tuskegee University and Virginia State University. UNCF staff, HBCU faculty and entrepreneurs and leaders in finance, sports and entertainment discussed the college experience, shared resources on college scholarships and trained students and parents on how to use UNCF’s scholarship portal. 

Representatives from UNCF, Florida A&M (FAMU), Virginia State University and Morehouse College provided resources to graduating seniors at UNCF's EMERGE College and Career Readiness Initiative workshop at YMCAs in Los Angeles, CA.

Additional speakers included: China Berry, chief executive officer and founder, Black Beverly Hills; Dr. Joseph Bryant, chief executive officer and founder, Prospeak Sports; Jared M. Grimes, vice president, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (a UNCF Los Angles Leadership Council member and alum of UNCF-member institution Morehouse College); Trae Smith, NFL sports agent and CEO and founder, PowerHaus Agency; Nik DeFrance, director of operations, PropStream; Juliet Udeochu, vice president and community manager, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; and Telebah Woods, senior vice president, Bank of America (a UNCF Los Angeles Leadership Council member and parent of a Florida A&M student).

In a post-event survey, students shared that they were previously unaware of UNCF, while only one had applied for scholarships before the workshop. “There’s a clear need to expose more students to our services,” Dr. Stamps said.

Over its one-year existence, the EMERGE Initiative has reached 101 students and parents. The initiative will be offering ongoing mentorship opportunities, youth-focused financial literacy workshops and additional college fairs throughout 2026. Check back for a full schedule.

The EMERGE Initiative aims to connect with additional students at YMCA branches across Los Angeles County in FY27 and FY28.