(BLACK PR WIRE) – NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2012 – Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) announced a multi-year, $1.7 million national partnership with Wells Fargo to provide scholarships and leadership development training to student leaders attending the country’s 47 public Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). In addition, Wells Fargo will continue to support one of TMCF’s leading programs, the Teacher Quality & Retention Program (TQRP), which focuses on increasing the number of Black males entering the teaching profession to educate children at high-need schools in urban and rural communities.

“Wells Fargo and TMCF share a commitment to education,” said Gigi Dixon, director of national partnerships for Wells Fargo. “We also believe everyone deserves access to high-quality and affordable education, which is why we are committed to working with TMCF to enable more low-income and underrepresented students to attend and graduate college - one of the most important ways we can help our communities become economically self-sufficient.”

To launch next year’s scholarship program, TMCF will provide scholarships to public HBCU students who maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, demonstrate financial need, and possess exceptional leadership potential. Selected Wells Fargo/TMCF Scholars will receive the equivalent of a full-tuition and fee scholarship for an in-state student to attend a public HBCU, and each of them will participate in a year-long program that includes quarterly leadership seminars facilitated by Wells Fargo executives and an all-expense-paid trip to New York City for an intensive leadership development conference.

"As a recent graduate, I understand how difficult it can be to get face time with top employers,” said Jadd Halawani, a 2012 graduate of Delaware State University and now a Wells Fargo Securities Administrative Services Analyst. “The Thurgood Marshall College Fund put me on the frontline to interact with companies like Wells Fargo and gave me the confidence to do so by knowing that I was selected to be there. The relationships I cultivated and direction I was provided by the Wells Fargo team prepared me for obstacles I would encounter post-graduation. The relationship between Wells Fargo and TMCF not only provided me with an excellent employment opportunity, but with contacts that act as my personal sponsors.”

Halawani’s mentor, Natasha Fatheree, Associate to the Vice Chairman, Wells Fargo Investment Banking and Capital Markets said, “We are extremely proud of the work we do with Thurgood Marshall College Fund to provide opportunities for tomorrow’s leaders to grow personally and professionally. It’s a winning proposition for the students, our company and the communities we serve. The real payoff is when students like Jadd decide to put their learnings into action and start their career at Wells Fargo.”

Recognizing the significant underrepresentation of Black male teachers in America’s classrooms, Wells Fargo will also sponsor a year-long program to identify Black male students committed to a career in teaching. As part of the overall program, these TMCF TQRP Fellows participated in a residential program on the campus of Prairie View A&M University for one week this summer intended to prepare them to become certified master teachers after graduation.

“Thanks to Wells Fargo’s generosity and ongoing partnership, a cadre of extremely talented future leaders will be able to earn a college degree,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., TMCF’s president and CEO. “In addition, Wells Fargo’s commitment allows HBCU’s to continue their tradition of producing highly-qualified and committed classroom teachers. Wells Fargo’s support to the TQRP initiative will have a lasting impact, helping us educate American children in communities all across the country.”

ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is named for the U.S. Supreme Court's first African-American Justice. Established in 1987, TMCF supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending its 47 member-schools that include public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), medical schools and law schools. TMCF helps students with a clear intention and the motivation to succeed and acquire a high-quality college education at an affordable cost. TMCF also efficiently connects high performing, world-ready students with top tier employment opportunities—access that students or employers might not have on their own. Through its scholarships and programs, TMCF plays a key role in preparing the leaders of tomorrow. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF and its initiatives, visit: www.ThurgoodMarshallCollegeFund.org.

ABOUT WELLS FARGO
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.4 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com), and has offices in more than 35 countries to support the bank’s customers who conduct business in the global economy. With more than 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2012 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. In 2011, the Company invested $213.5 million in grants in 19,000 nonprofits, and team members contributed more than 1.5 million volunteer hours around the country. For more information, please visit: www.wellsfargo.com/about/csr.