Smiley Scholarships Benefit Students Of Color

BLOOMINGTON, IN - Five students in the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs have been awarded $4,000 Tavis Smiley Scholarships for 2010-11.

Established by Smiley, one of SPEA's most distinguished alumni, the scholarships are intended to enlighten, encourage and empower tomorrow's leaders and to help create a national network of young people capable of effecting positive social change. The scholarships will assist students of color, students from diverse cultures, and women in achieving their educational goals.

The 2010-11 Smiley Scholars include:

Melanie Lubin of Farmington Hills, Mich.
Domonitres Martin of Fort Wayne, Ind.
Victoria Martinez of Chicago
Marlon Web of Gary, Ind.
Kenecia Williams of Gary, Ind.

Melanie Lubin
Lubin is president of her sorority, Sigma Delta Tau; and director of public relations for the student board of My Sister's Closet, which helps provide workforce attire for low-income women seeking a job. She is a volunteer with the IU Student foundation class campaigns, her temple's SOS Housing the Homeless campaign, and Jewish Federation of Detroit's Mitzvah Day.

Domonitres Martin
Martin, a first-generation college student, is student co-director of the Multicultural Outreach Recruitment Educators in the IU Office of Admissions, where she helps recruit underrepresented students. She has volunteered in Fort Wayne with the Allen County Public Library, Boys and Girls Club and the Community Literacy Intervention Program.

Martinez (photo not available), the middle child in a family of six, has been an IU Student Foundation intern, an undergraduate teaching assistant and a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. An arts management major, she puts in 20-30 hours a week at two on-campus jobs and plans to join the Peace Corps.

Marlon Webb
Webb is a student in SPEA's accelerated master's degree program, which will give him a head start on graduate study in nonprofit management when he graduates in May 2011. He has volunteered with IU's Hudson and Holland Scholars and Groups programs, with Boys and Girls Clubs, and a daycare in Gary.

Kenecia Williams
Williams serves as treasurer of Delta Alpha Rho national based service fraternity, a mentor with College Mentors for Kids and the incoming director of multicultural affairs for the IU Student Association. After having struggled financially, she says the Smiley Scholarship will help her save money and possibly travel to Kenya for an internship.

Tavis Smiley, one of America's most celebrated and respected media personalities, hosts the nightly program "Tavis Smiley" on PBS and "The Tavis Smiley Show" on weekends from PRI. His best-selling books include Accountable: Making America as Good as its Promise.

The IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs is a world leader in public affairs and the environmental sciences and is the largest school of public affairs in the United States, each year awarding 500 bachelor's degrees and 250 graduate degrees. In any given year, the School has more than 2,000 affiliated full-time and part-time students.