MyBlack^® Career

Conference designed to inspire more blacks to pursue college education

Source: Vallejo Times-Herald

The Willie B. Adkins Program, which aims to increase the number of black students who attend college, will hold a spring conference this evening at 6:30 to celebrate students on track to meet that goal. "I want to show others that even though I'm black, I can still do what I need to do -- get my education on," said Jenafer Jiles Thompson, 17, a first-year Adkins scholar. The conference will be at Vallejo Middle School, 1347 Amador St. The scholars, as program participants are called, are to perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and receive awards. Former Adkins program scholars are scheduled to speak about what they learned in the program and how it helped them in college. Parents, friends and the community are invited to the free event. About 40 percent of Vallejo's high school students drop out, including 46.9 percent of African-American students.

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