Burke Student Chosen For Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program

BURKE, VA — Last Thursday, Visa named the inaugural class of its Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program, awarding 50 incoming first-year college students across the country with scholarships, mentorships and opportunities to join Visa full-time upon graduation. A Burke student is one of the students chosen.

The Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program, created in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, is a $10 million investment over the next five years. In addition to scholarships, students receive Visa mentors to advise them with their goals as they move from high school to college and the workforce. Students can access mentors throughout the program. Mentors are volunteering their time and were matched with scholars based on their criteria and eligibility requirements.

Scholars will also join a Scholars Summit at Visa’s HQ in 2022 and receive year-round programming and training. There will also be opportunities for internships and potential job opportunities at Visa after graduation for those who meet program requirements.

Lidya Demilew, a Lake Braddock Secondary School graduate from Burke, is one of the 50 students selected for the program. Demilew is attending Yale University. Other Virginia winners are Darrian Belcher of Hampton and Luke Pilot of Alexandria.

The inaugural class represents students from 19 students and DC. These students are attending colleges such as Brown University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Howard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Morehouse College, North Carolina A&T State University, University of Maryland Baltimore, University of Michigan, and Yale University. Hundreds of students had applied for the program in 2021.

"We are honored to recognize this group of extremely talented students and to support their educational aspirations through the Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program," said Kelly Mahon Tullier, Visa's executive vice president, chief legal and administrative officer and program mentor. "At Visa, we believe that change starts with action and we are committed to advancing racial equality and closing the opportunity gap. Through this program, we are supporting a pipeline of diverse future leaders in the business and technology sectors."

The Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program is open to college-bound Black and African American students in the U.S. who plan to study business or technology and will enroll as a full-time undergraduate student. Students will be eligible for annual renewals by continuing to meet criteria, remaining in good standing and maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA at college.