Pasadena Mentorship Program to Present Scholarships to 8 Southland Students

The Pasadena-based Gamma Zeta Boulé Foundation is planning to distribute scholarships to eight Black Southland high school seniors at the organization’s 16th Annual LAMP Mentor Program Scholarship Celebration later this month.

The LAMP, or Leadership, Achievement, Management and Professionalism, Mentor Program ceremony will take place online starting at 11:30 a.m. on May 29, organizers said.

The program began in 2004 and is “designed for the purposes of developing the leadership potential in African American high school males in the Greater San Gabriel Valley community,” the Foundation said in a written statement.

“The mission of the  LAMP Mentor Program is to prepare these adolescent males for a world of inclusion, while promoting leadership, personal development, community service, political/civic engagement and decision-making expertise,” the statement added. “LAMP Mentees also receive exposure to historical and  contemporary cultural issues, self-empowerment strategies and advanced relationship  development skills, all of which equip them to navigate the dynamics they will encounter in their  quest for excellence.”

The students taking part in the program meet at least once a month during August through May to attend a series of mentoring workshops held throughout the region, according to the Gamma Zeta Boulé Foundation.

“During the pandemic, the program has met virtually and continues mentee engagement with successful African American business, professional and government leaders,” the statement said. “It  has also continued to deploy its ground-breaking experiential skill development curriculum through impactful workshops featuring soft skills in etiquette, journal writing and self-reflection, as well as skills development in public speaking/presentations, networking, interviewing,  financial literacy, entrepreneurship, financial aid for college, critical thinking and introductions  to business and professional careers.”

One-hundred percent of students who completed the LAMP Program have gone on to college or university and received scholarships, representatives said.

“LAMP is committed to providing transformative experiential exposure to adolescent African American males,” Foundation President Ramsey Jay Jr. said. “By doing so we believe we are doing our part to prepare them for a world of tomorrow, today, and further empowering these young dreamers to become achievers.”

Those interested in joining in the online ceremony were invited to sign up online at gzbfoundation.org/lamp-scholarship-ceremony.

More information on the Gamma Zeta Boulé Foundation, including details on how to donate in support of the program or scholarships, is available on the organization’s website at gzbfoundation.org.