NBA Foundation grant propels dozens of minority teens in Baton Rouge to college

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Lindsay McKinney never thought this moment would come.

”I thought it was going to take forever, but time flew by,” said McKinney.

She is a part of the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition (BRYC), a non-profit that helps minority and disadvantaged students get into and graduate college. McKinney was one of 40 seniors from the group to announce their collegiate plans to attend LSU or Southern University at a special Signing Day event Monday, May 1.

According to organizers, part of their admission was paid for thanks to a partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA).

”One of the things that we’ve noticed is the access, the access to higher education has been limited to some of our students and even just knowing what’s out there,” said Monica Baker, Direction of College Counseling for BRYC.

Created in August 2020, the NBA Foundation is the league’s first-ever charitable foundation dedicated to driving economic opportunity for Black youth. The Foundation invests in local and national organizations that promote school-to-career and workforce development opportunities.

Two organizations in the New Orleans Pelicans’ market were selected during the Foundation’s latest award cycle; BRYC is the only one serving in Louisiana’s Capital Region.

“We think about the college process and think that everyone in America has access to all of those things, but for some of our students, that might not be the case,” explained Baker.

Leaders say this grant played a part in fulfilling the dreams of some of the brightest minds in Baton Rouge.

”You have your application fee, your housing fee, your orientation fee, there’s so many little fees along the way, and the program that we’ve partnered with the NBA Foundation has been absolutely incredible with bridging the gap,” added Baker.

BRYC reported that 93 of their graduating seniors accumulated more than $5.5 million in scholarships. Among some of the other colleges the students will attend in the fall include Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, Stanford University, Emory University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Howard University, and Rhodes College.

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