- Posted in All University
- Category: Campus NewsStudents
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA – Lincoln University’s Richard Imorobebh Igbiriki has been selected as one of 30 scholars in the Apple HBCU Scholars Program.
The junior computer science major with a focus on gaming and cyber security was selected among 1400 juniors across 7 majors who applied to the program from HBCUs across the nation. The application and selection process included resume submission and series of video interviews, which assessed critical soft skills that enable success in the program, coupled with technical ability.
“A small Nigerian student from a small university going tothe biggest company in the world, how ironic and marvelous,” said Igbiriki, who is a native of Bayelsa, Nigeria. “This is an opportunity to represent Lincoln University and make her proud. My intention is to open up opportunities to other members of the LU pride and (establish) a lasting relationship between Lincoln University scholars and Apple.”
The program, which is part of the new Apple and Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Diversity Initiative, includes a one-year scholarship, a summer internship with Apple in Cupertino, California, an Apple employee mentor, participation in a year-round development program for post graduate careers as well as the Apple HBCU Immersion experience at Apple in Spring 2016.
“There are ‘scholarships’ and then there are ‘scholarship programs,’” said TMCF President & CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. “Apple has made an historic investment in a scholarship program that will transform the lives of HBCU star students by not only removing the financial barriers to college attendance, but by providing them additional non-financial program elements like Apple mentors and summer internships. These Apple HBCU Scholars will be the future tech industry leaders.”
Igbiriki, whose goal is to be a software engineer or cyber security expert, will also serve as an ambassador on the campus to build awareness for the Apple and TMCF Diversity Initiative.
“My passion for excellence and Apple played a major role in my selection as an Apple Scholar,” he added.
Founded in 1854, Lincoln University (PA) is the FIRST of four Lincoln Universities in the world and is the nation’s FIRST degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The University combines the elements of a liberal arts and science-based undergraduate curriculum along with select graduate programs to meet the needs of those living in a highly technological and global society. Today, Lincoln, which enrolls a diverse student body of approximately 2,000 men and women, possesses an international reputation for preparing and producing world-class leaders such as Thurgood Marshall, the FIRST African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice; Lillian Fishburne, the FIRST African American woman promoted to Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy; Langston Hughes, the noted poet; Kwame Nkrumah, the FIRST president of Ghana; Nnamdi Azikiwe, the FIRST president of Nigeria and a myriad of others.