CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Historically Black Colleges and Universities received half a million dollars in scholarship money and a commitment to hire recent graduates from Truist Bank.
The bank's Virginia president Thomas Ransom made the announcement at an event called “HBCU Sunday” hosted by The Mount church in Chesapeake.
“Our purpose at Truist is to inspire and build better lives in communities, so we are deeply involved in all our communities," Ransom said.
The annual event is a chance for local colleges to connect with the community and showcase their schools, according to the church's bishop Kim Brown.
“This is our third time doing it," Brown said. "We suspending it during COVID so it’s our first time since COVID.”
College recruiters were on hand to speak with high school seniors and Truist bank management conducted onsite job interviews with college seniors.
Truist donated $250,000 to Norfolk State University. The school's president, Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston said the money will be used for a women leadership program.
“When you come to a Norfolk State University, when you come to an HBCU, it’s home," Dr. Adams-Gaston said. "And you feel that connectivity. You feel like you don’t have to explain who you are.”
Virginia State University also received $250,000. VSU president Dr. Makola Abdullah said the money will go towards an entrepreneur program.
“It’s excellent for our students to be able to get the opportunity to use these funds to do some fantastic things at the university, so we’re very excited,” Dr. Abdullah said.
College leaders say it’s an investment in the future.
The event featured performances by the Elizabeth City State University marching band, the Norfolk State University choir, and cheerleaders from Virginia State University.