Wake that ass up early in the morning The Breakfast Club morning everybody it’s DJ Envy Charlamagne the guy we are to breakfast club we got a special guest in the building yes indeed Stacy Lee Sprat welcome what’s up how you feeling listen feeling good director of the
United Negro College Fund yes Empower me tour there you go that’s right I feel like I’ve been hearing about the United Negro College Fund my whole life but not more not that much in recent times so really yeah so what what what does United College listen we’ve been around going on 80
Years so that’s why you’ve been hearing about it since you were little but uh you know we provide educational support um for minority students so with the Empower me tour it’s a traveling Road show where we talk about college readiness we talk about career Readiness and we give millions of dollars in
Scholarships for people to attend school not just graduating high school seniors but also people in college can still get scholarships through the uncf I always wonder you know like do people are people as aware of resources like this as they need to be you know what I feel
Like we can always do a better job of making sure people know that resources are there uncf is not just to get students to college it’s our responsibility to get students through college also so with the resources are coming in all the time to uncf so I tell
Students and parents to visit uncf.org every other week because we have scholarships that pop up all throughout the month all throughout the year and to just know what is actually out there for students to attend college for free I mean education is expensive that’s right what are some of the qualifications to
Get some of these students in college you know what it honestly depends on the type of scholarship there is you know some have 3.0 GPA qualifications some might even have 2.7 or your 3.5 and above some of them you have to write an essay it really all depends on the type
Of scholarship that you’re applying for like with the Empower me tour we have counselors that come on site and give on-site admissions to students on the spot not just that we have college admissions counselors offering full four-year scholarships to students who didn’t even know that they could attend
College or could attend an HBCU we really try to do the Empower me tour in places where there aren’t HBCU so we can educate people that HB pcus exist and scholarships are available so this is only for HBCU you only giving College oh no we give scholarship money to not just
HBCU people can get a uncf scholarship and attend any school of their choice we just want to make sure people know in places and spaces that HBCU exist is there HBCU in New York I’ve been having this argument with people for the last there is not an HBCU in New York so
Fairly Dickerson is not an HBCU that is not an HBCU in New York okay Stacy said it not me guys cuz I’ve been saying it for the longest I was like I didn’t know it was cuz I always say you know growing up in New York there were no HBCU and
The only time that I seen it was on a different world and that’s what made me want to go to the best HBCU not clock by Hampton University you know it can be second best cuz number one is what’s on this chest clock Atlanta University I he
You I he you so so being that y’all give money to everybody y’all don’t have to worry about like you know cuz you know now you see all of these people like uh what’s his name Ed I think his name is Edward Bron doing these attacks on you
Know the Fearless fund and people who funding strictly for black people you funding is not just strictly for um black or brown people um you know again I like to remind people HBCU were created during a time that black and brown people could not attend majority institutions were historically black not
Exclusively black word what what was so important for you to go to HBCU of course you went to Clark Atlanta well of course I went to Clark Atlanta where you from you got to stop bling I’m originally from Mississippi oh you from Miss yeah every time you hear clar you
Blush listen that’s where my husband came from so maybe that’s you know HB at Clark Atlanta DJ Drama went to Clark Atlanta too okay yes DJ Drama went to Clark Atlanta we were there around the same time um my parents went to Clark College my brother went to Howard my
Other brother went to morouse like we are an HBCU family like my business partners you know went to Hampton one okay and the other one went to Clark Atlanta so it just fostered relationships HBC and just homecoming there is no homecoming like an HBCU homecoming okay so that’s why I love it
So what talk before you go before you go what made you want to go was it instilled with your family or was it it was instilled with my family it was you know again I’ve been attending homecoming at Clark Atlanta since I was two years old you know because both my
Parents went there I got you and just watching the relationships that my parents had with other people from Clark Atlanta University and like those are my aunts and uncle’s extended family I just fell in love with it people don’t talk about that aspect enough uh the networking that happens at these
HBC what what what did you or who did you meet that led you to end up being the director of the United Negro College Fund I mean first of all my father received a uncf scholarship so watching him talk about un receiving a uncf scholarship and watching him work at Jal
Motors and then turn around and give back for other black and brown people and people at Clark Atlanta spell meam moous to be engineers and just watching that Foster I always had a good a loving relationship for uncf um but it really is the networking um you have
Relationships with people I do business with people that I went to school with we still have those genuine relationships you work with them when you think about okay if I have an event taking place I’m thinking about well who can I help that went to Clark Atlanta
With me or who you know went to another HBCU a lot of the work that I do even in the events world I provide opportunities for other HBCU graduates well what’s some advice or tips you can give to help students apply for and receive scholarships from you uncf the first
Thing I would want them to do is to go to uncf.org and set up an account and check back there every other week because again scholarships pop up every day that we’re offering again if you’re graduating senior and high school check it out set up an account if you are in
College and looking for an internship looking for scholarship opportunities set up an account at uncf.org and just continue to check back make sure you have your resume you know written out talk to someone that does resume building it’s so important make sure that you have your statement written out
Of why you want to even go to college whatever college or university that is so just being proactive and preparing yourself how early is too early I I I know you said senior year but sometimes senior year might be a little too late because you just don’t necessarily know
So how early should as parent should be looking into colleges and and same thing with students you know you can set up your account at uncf.org I mean as a freshman in high school okay and start looking at different scholarships and looking for what is it that you need to
Apply for those certain types of scholarships it’s never too early to talk to students about scholarship about financial aid I mean that is so important for parents and students to fill out that financial aid information and I know the fasta has changed over um you know the course of this year so it’s
Making sure you fill out your FASA set up that account at uncf.org it doesn’t matter how old you are you can start talking to your kids about scholarships in you know fifth sixth seventh grade like we need money for you to attend school now you know a lot of parents uh
I I don’t want to say have problems with scholarships but have problems with scholarships because they get get the scholarship to get their kid into school right but now their kid is in school they’re freshman now what happen sophomore year are some of these scholarships foure scholarships or they
Just onee scholarship you got to get in then you’re on your own oh no so a lot of um scholarships are fouryear renewable scholarships as long as you continue to keep that GPA requirement as long as you continue to keep whatever the requirements are for that scholarship and it’s so important to
Look and say okay is this scholarship renewable you know for my student so they can plan accordingly there are some scholarships that might be a one time so if you do get that scholarship that’s one time then you have to go back to the drawing board and say okay let me see
About some scholarship money over here over here over here you can also peaca it together it doesn’t all have to come from one place got when they talk when you talk about certain requirements and I didn’t go to college forgive me for my stupidness but is it scholarships that’s
Like if you if you five six you know what there’s a scholarship out there if you’re left-handed okay it is scholarship money out there for everything you can think of and I think that’s the key to it you have to look for scholarships that you might be
Thinking like I mean was a left-handed scholarship but it’s out there there are scholarships for all things whether you play sports whether you don’t play sports whether you’re majoring in stem where they majoring and marketing even entrepreneurial scholarships so it is scholarships available for everyone it’s doing the research spending the time to
Do the research being organized about where you’re looking and what you’re looking for I wonder why like when you when why do they have a scholarship for like left-handed people listen I don’t know cuz I didn’t create that scholarship might might have been a left-handed billionaire that says you
Know what I just want to support other left-handed people out there you can come up with what however you want to do you know scholarships when um myself and Pinky Cole we gave scholarship money for 30 graduating seniors at Clark Atlanta University we had no Rhyme or Reason our
Reason was that they would not be able to graduate if they didn’t pay that dollar amount so sometimes you have people that just say you know what I want to make sure these students graduate I don’t care what their GPA is it could be a 2.0 it doesn’t matter I
Want to make sure they get the money so they can walk across that stage and that’s what we did hey we didn’t care it didn’t matter you owed money and we wanted to make sure that you were able to graduate in the spring and so that’s
What we did my daddy said if I get a 2.0 I’m coming back to Queens listen you can graduate college still with a 2.0 right you graduating thank you L but you’re graduating thank you I didn’t go to col thank you lordy that I thank you Lord you got to put some
Someing on it thank you Lord yes sir yes ma’am yes ma’am now how can students prepare and pay for college especially with the federal student aid deadline coming up oh yeah the deadline is around the corner so they need to apply you must apply to see what you qualify for
What kind of scholarships you qualify for again Google is your best friend YouTube University is your best friend really look up what scholarships are available but again go to uncf.org cuz we have thousands of scholarships available we give away millions of dollars to date uncf has probably given
Out over four billion dollars in educating young people so today is today is Dr Martin Luther King junor day so for that day are you guys doing something special for for today or or Dr Martin Luther King went to morehous college but we’re not doing anything in particular besides what we always do
Which is provide education for black and brown and young people what are some benefits of going through an HBCU cuz my daughter’s 15 now and you know she’s of course she’s already talking about college so what’s the what’s the benefits of going through an HBCU versus
A pwi you know I I think for me it’s seeing people that look like you doing great things um it’s again that Community it’s a smaller classroom it’s also go where you’re celebrated not where you’re tolerated what’s the point of being a Delta what’s the point of being a what
Let me wor that different what the benef don’t let don’t let him talk to you like that he must have AKA in his family he must have Zetas in his family don’t let him talk to you like my mother Delta you crazy my motherinlaw Del like St my
Wife’s mother is a Delta what’s the point of being a Delta wow me what’s the benefit disrespectful not the point the benefits the benefits of being Ault you let them talk to you like that wow look at the peanut gallery over here poing it up you see how you see how people Pump
It Up listen being a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority Incorporated was one of the greatest decisions for me um they are my sisters my L sisters my big sisters my little sisters again I not only work with them I love them it is a Sisterhood I don’t have sisters I have
Two older brothers um you know I have a [ __ ] that you know is my cousin but it is about the love it’s about The Sisterhood it’s about the community it’s about giving back so all of those things are what Delta encompasses yeah cuz I think about it if you go to an HBCU
That’s one level of Sisterhood right absolutely and togetherness with your black black people but then you get pledge Delta that’s a whole other level listen a whole another level of Sisterhood and Brotherhood I mean again that HBCU camaraderie is a Sisterhood and Brotherhood in itself whether you pledge something or not and even
Pledging Delta I still have akas that I so love I mean public is AKA you know it’s okay but you know it’s still that love of frat fraternities and sororities absolutely now my my my oldest is a sophomore in high school like I said we’re already starting to look for
Colleges when should students start seriously looking into college honestly I again I would say seventh eighth grade year start talking to your kids about college and and what kind of college would they want to go to what do they want to do you know as they you know get
Older and I always also tell students if you don’t know exactly what you want to do it’s okay to to say that it’s okay to change your mind but I also say as a junior in college just go ahead and finish whatever that major is and figure
Out how to apply it to whatever it is you want to do or become that’s right like don’t pay all that money to take extra classes or additional classes just move forward yeah I always say HBCU sometimes have to do a better job at trying to get students especially on the
East Coast because we don’t see them as much especially New York in New Jersey or even Delaware and Philly we don’t see it as much and and for my like I said myself my biggest thing was a different world that’s what made me see what a
HBCU was like uh so I I would say they have to do a better job and and hopefully things like this will encourage more students to check out HBC yes and we actually did the Empower me tour in New York um with High School uh students it was some years ago it was
Right before um Co and in again hugely successful cuz students didn’t know about HBCU that they’re available um you know for them to attend do you agree with envy that you know HBCU have to do a better job or do we as black people have to start valuing our own better I
Think I think it’s both I think it’s I think it’s twofold I think one it’s important for us to continue to give back to our HBCU it’s not just about homecoming and coming home it’s also coming home loving on your people but also giving back to your institution so
I just really think you know it’s imperative and we do have to do a better job of letting kids know that HBCU are attainable that they’re available and that money is available for them to attend the reason I talk about them so much is is going to to Hampton and and
Going to all these homecomings I didn’t get that experience in New York you know you go to to Florida and they have the classic where it’s it’s nothing but black people and and they’re outside and they’re barbecuing and they’re cooking and there’s a parade and it’s just so
Much going on and then you go to one in Alabama and it’s the same thing and you realize damn I didn’t have that in New York we didn’t have to to experience that we didn’t wake up morning to to go to the parade and you miss that being in
Certain areas where they don’t have an HBCU that’s why I say a lot of times we have to do go better at at going to those areas where there is no HBCU showing the students what it means what it is and what the family is like like
Going to famu’s homecoming I I know you Clark Atlanta but I’m Hampton but FAMU has probably one of the best homecomings ever they have a they have an excellent homecoming and I will say I mean I love my C Jackson State also has a funk good
Time of homecoming as well I must say that but I thought there was a classic here um in New Jersey where more didn’t they just start it’s a game it’s a game G so they just shout out to Albert so he just he’s trying to bring it back to New
York got it didn’t actually go to HBCU he went to St John’s but he understands what it means he has black kids so he’s trying to create the classic back where schools are coming in the problem is I think last year they did more house in Alabama State yes Aly State and the
Problem with Albany State sadly is most people thought it was in albony New York but ALB State’s in Georgia so it’s it’s like getting those schools and giving an education but he’s going to continue to do it and hopefully that gets that back here and gets these students out here
And gets them coming to see thing because it’s more than just a game it’s they have step shows they have uh uh they give a place where they giving scholarships onsite to kids they’re doing um there’s so many different things around it and I like to be a part
Of it because I just love my HBCU yes I love that well we appreciate you she’s also an entrepreneur that’s right Harlem Harlem Hops Beer boo bites and Beach be Scott had bought us this before that’s right you know what mean you want to talk about Harlem hops listen Harlem
Hops is a craft beer bar it’s in Harlem we also just opened up a second location um at Pier 57 so we have Harlem hops Chelsea also in the food Hall where the Google building is so that’s our second location and I mean we are 100% african-american-owned you know first blackowned Craft Beer
Barn in New York the reason I love this because it shows that you know what you do with the United Negro College Fund you do that to be of service absolutely you know what I mean absolutely do it to to be of service to other students so
They can also see again there’s nothing like a mirror image to see what it is that you can do what you can become and when you see you know a brother a sister and you’re like dang I can do that also it’s it’s inspiring and it’s inspirational how can people get in
Contact with you in the uncf okay you can reach me at uh on my Ig at Stacy Le 32 that’s my M name Lee I’m a Sprat um you know on IG you can reach out to me directly um you know any kind of questions about education any kind of
Questions about scholarships I will be glad to answer and you negro colge funf yep uncf.org org uncf.org for all information about scholarships internships um you know ways to get to and through college it’s all right there at your fingertips all right well Stacy Lee Sprat we appreciate you for joining
Us thank you it’s The Breakfast Club good morning wake that ass up early in the morning The Breakfast Club
source
