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FAMU Announces $300,000 Scholarship Fund for Detroit and Bahamas Students Studying Agriculture Or Business
April 1st, 2021
William F. Pickard, Ph.D. and Sir Cornelius Smith.
Florida A&M University (FAMU) students from the Bahamas and Detroit studying business or agriculture will benefit from the creation of the $300,000 Cornelius A. Smith and William F. Pickard, Ph.D., Friendship and Alliance Scholarship Fund, officials announced Wednesday.
“This is a wise investment,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., at the virtual event announcing the scholarship program. “You picked two outstanding academic programs that have a tremendous impact on the lives of people.”
Sir Cornelius A. Smith is the governor-general of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. His longtime friend, William F. Pickard, Ph.D., is CEO and founder of Global Automotive Alliance and the largest non-alumnus donor to FAMU
Governor General His Excellency Cornelius A Smith and Pickard have been friends for more than five decades and they made a decision to work together to ensure that students have access to education and funding to be able to make a global impact. They came up with the Friendship & Alliance Scholarship.
This scholarship will allow recipients of the award to receive a tuition-only scholarship that can be used towards their education at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). Applicants must be graduating high school seniors or college freshmen or sophomore transfers interested in obtaining a degree in the field of agriculture.
Shawnta Friday-Stroud, Ph.D., SBI dean, vice president of Advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation, said this initiative holds long-term benefits for the Bahamas and Detroit.
“This is a legacy gift. It’s going to pay dividends for decades to come,” she said. “We are looking forward to the students we will be receiving in the fall. We can’t wait to see how the partnership and alliance continue to grow.”
The scholarship program is targeted at creating opportunities to educate people from two communities with specific needs.
“The communities of the Bahamas and Detroit need more business people, and we need more people who understand farming and agriculture,” Pickard said.
In the Bahamas, farming and agriculture have lagged behind the nation’s needs. FAMU has long been a destination for Bahamian students. In 2019, when Hurricane Dorian devastated the Caribbean country, 38 Bahamian students were enrolled at FAMU.
“We, in the Bahamas, have had a long relationship with Florida A&M University. What is happening here is only going to cement that relationship and allow it to grow further and expand globally,” said Smith during the announcement event. Bahamian students who venture abroad to study are urged to “learn, earn and return” so they can give back to their community, said Smith, who spoke after remarks from Bahamian Education and Agriculture ministers. “This is a historic meeting that will have very long-lasting effects on our communities,” he added.
Addressing Robert Taylor, Ph.D., dean of the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, a native of the Bahamas, Smith, said, “We look forward to your mentorship to the students who will come from the Bahamas and those who come from Michigan.”
Taylor said most of the money gained from the Bahamas’ lucrative tourism industry pays for food from overseas.
“Bahamians import about 80 percent of their food,” Taylor said. “We have a need to reduce food imports drastically by increasing food production. FAMU is one of the leaders in agriculture in the nation and is well suited to help train Bahamian students in critical areas needed to increase food production.”
Most of the agricultural land in the Bahamas is owned by the government, which has worked to build more sustainable agricultural to meet its demand, but the nation still remains very reliant on imports. Through the new scholarship, it’s hoped more Bahamians will be trained and return to help address the growing demand.
Pickard also hopes the scholarships help inspire more young people looking to get involved in urban farming in Detroit.
Smith pointed out: “This is a dream that Will and I had for years. We were always committed to helping young people; we want students from all over the world to build stronger relationships and thereby create a stronger world.
“We created a program and started bringing kids from Alabama to The Bahamas years ago. Now we are providing opportunities for students in The Bahamas and in Detroit to get an education at FAMU. This will cement the Friendship & Alliance Scholarship and help it to grow further and expand globally.”
April 1st, 2021
William F. Pickard, Ph.D. and Sir Cornelius Smith.
Florida A&M University (FAMU) students from the Bahamas and Detroit studying business or agriculture will benefit from the creation of the $300,000 Cornelius A. Smith and William F. Pickard, Ph.D., Friendship and Alliance Scholarship Fund, officials announced Wednesday.
“This is a wise investment,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., at the virtual event announcing the scholarship program. “You picked two outstanding academic programs that have a tremendous impact on the lives of people.”
Sir Cornelius A. Smith is the governor-general of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. His longtime friend, William F. Pickard, Ph.D., is CEO and founder of Global Automotive Alliance and the largest non-alumnus donor to FAMU
Governor General His Excellency Cornelius A Smith and Pickard have been friends for more than five decades and they made a decision to work together to ensure that students have access to education and funding to be able to make a global impact. They came up with the Friendship & Alliance Scholarship.
This scholarship will allow recipients of the award to receive a tuition-only scholarship that can be used towards their education at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). Applicants must be graduating high school seniors or college freshmen or sophomore transfers interested in obtaining a degree in the field of agriculture.
Shawnta Friday-Stroud, Ph.D., SBI dean, vice president of Advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation, said this initiative holds long-term benefits for the Bahamas and Detroit.
“This is a legacy gift. It’s going to pay dividends for decades to come,” she said. “We are looking forward to the students we will be receiving in the fall. We can’t wait to see how the partnership and alliance continue to grow.”
The scholarship program is targeted at creating opportunities to educate people from two communities with specific needs.
“The communities of the Bahamas and Detroit need more business people, and we need more people who understand farming and agriculture,” Pickard said.
In the Bahamas, farming and agriculture have lagged behind the nation’s needs. FAMU has long been a destination for Bahamian students. In 2019, when Hurricane Dorian devastated the Caribbean country, 38 Bahamian students were enrolled at FAMU.
“We, in the Bahamas, have had a long relationship with Florida A&M University. What is happening here is only going to cement that relationship and allow it to grow further and expand globally,” said Smith during the announcement event. Bahamian students who venture abroad to study are urged to “learn, earn and return” so they can give back to their community, said Smith, who spoke after remarks from Bahamian Education and Agriculture ministers. “This is a historic meeting that will have very long-lasting effects on our communities,” he added.
Addressing Robert Taylor, Ph.D., dean of the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, a native of the Bahamas, Smith, said, “We look forward to your mentorship to the students who will come from the Bahamas and those who come from Michigan.”
Taylor said most of the money gained from the Bahamas’ lucrative tourism industry pays for food from overseas.
“Bahamians import about 80 percent of their food,” Taylor said. “We have a need to reduce food imports drastically by increasing food production. FAMU is one of the leaders in agriculture in the nation and is well suited to help train Bahamian students in critical areas needed to increase food production.”
Most of the agricultural land in the Bahamas is owned by the government, which has worked to build more sustainable agricultural to meet its demand, but the nation still remains very reliant on imports. Through the new scholarship, it’s hoped more Bahamians will be trained and return to help address the growing demand.
Pickard also hopes the scholarships help inspire more young people looking to get involved in urban farming in Detroit.
Smith pointed out: “This is a dream that Will and I had for years. We were always committed to helping young people; we want students from all over the world to build stronger relationships and thereby create a stronger world.
“We created a program and started bringing kids from Alabama to The Bahamas years ago. Now we are providing opportunities for students in The Bahamas and in Detroit to get an education at FAMU. This will cement the Friendship & Alliance Scholarship and help it to grow further and expand globally.”
