2021 Chevron Executive Leadership Council Scholars
Sponsored by Chevron, this scholarship is awarded to high-achieving Black students enrolled in an accredited four-year college or university pursuing a degree in a STEM and business field of study.
The 2021 class received a three-year, need-based scholarship in the amount of $20,000 to assist with educational expenses for three academic years.
Ahmad Whitaker
Ahmad Whitaker is a sophomore computer information systems major at Howard University on the dean’s list. He has volunteered in various aspects of his community for much of his life and founded the NC Non-Profit Generational Interchange for Technology (GIFT) to educate senior citizens with technology and engage youth to assist. Governor Cooper recognized Whitaker’s outstanding service when he served as a North Carolina (NC) Student Page for the Governor, House, and Senate. Whitaker is an NAACP life member, former NC Executive Committee Membership Chair for Youth & College Division, and current Howard chapter member. At Howard, he has also been active in multiple Day of Service efforts, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and was accepted into the School of Business Team Lead Organization Training. Whitaker aspires to continue leveraging his education and training through community service and his profession to make affordable and secure technology accessible worldwide.
Erin Foster
Erin Foster is a sophomore and the former Vice President of the Freshman Class Council at Spelman College. She is on the dean’s list, is a member of the Granddaughter’s club and the SpelHouse Pre-law society. She is a former Atlanta Hawks intern and WarnerMedia 21st Century Leader and was selected among the top students chosen statewide for the Georgia Governor’s Honors program. Foster has served her community as Teen Leader at Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral and as a dance instructor with I Am Arts Community Partnership. Foster is an Economics major and Political Science minor. She owns a graphic design business, Crafticly.com, and is an aspiring judge. Her honors and awards include: dean’s list, Warner Media 21st Century Leaders Best App Design, Mercedes Benz USA Multi-General Networking Winner, May Week Oratorical Competition Second Place Winner and Outstanding Commitment and Dedication Children’s Ministry award.
Evan Connor
Evan Connor is a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. He is also a member of the Commonwealth Honors College at UMass. Connor is currently majoring in computer science because of his passion for technology and is considering minoring in mathematics. He made the dean’s list for the fall semester and is on track to make the list again in the spring. He currently works at Costco in the phone department. Due to the remote college experience, Connor was not able to participate in community service through the college, but he is very excited for the “soph-serve” community service program available to sophomores in the honors college. During his time in high school as a track and field captain, he co-founded a program where the high school athletes went down to the local elementary schools and taught the kids about track and promoted healthy lifestyles.
Jackson Session
Jackson Session is a second-year student at Howard University, studying finance. He has the aspiration to enter the financial consulting industry. Currently Session serves as the CEO and Founder of his nonprofit organization Dollars and Change, Inc. where he works to break the generational curses in the black community by teaching the importance of financial literacy and entrepreneurship to our youth. He is also a member of the Howard Finance and Investment and Consulting club. Session currently works as a consultant for the Consult Your Community Howard chapter. With this organization he gains valuable consulting experience whilst providing pro bono financial advice to real businesses. He currently serves as the Community Service Director of Waves of Changes HBCU Inc Howard chapter. Outside of school, Session enjoys volunteering with the 100 Black Men of Greater Dallas Fort Worth, serving at his church, and participating in community service and outreach events.
Matthew Bethea
Matthew Bethea is currently pursuing a degree in business economics major at UCLA. He is part of the NOMMO staff, a newsmagazine that captures the Black experience on campus, as a social media intern. Along with this, Bethea is a youth advocate for parks and green spaces in underrepresented areas around his community. Through this group, he also volunteers around his community, including painting an old playground structure at a preschool. He was recently awarded with the Epperson Gladding Leadership Award for his accomplishments during high school as a leader and juror in California Youth Court, an organization within high schools that allows students a second chance after committing an offense on campus.
