Media Advisory: WFU students named to Kemper Scholars Program

(Winston-Salem, N.C. – May 28, 2015) – Wake Forest University students Matthew Howard and Lena Mason have been selected from a group of finalists for the incoming class of the prestigious Kemper Scholars Program. The program prepares students for professional leadership positions through experiential workplace learning that applies what they learn in their academic programs.

Wake Forest is among a select group of fewer than 20 U.S. schools which offer this program for students in their first year of college. Howard is a sophomore from McLean, Va., and Mason is a freshman from Columbus, Wisconsin.

Kemper Scholars represent a select group of undergraduates from a group of exemplary liberal arts colleges around the country and are selected based on commitment to their studies, service in their communities and because they have exhibited leadership and well-rounded, ethical character. The program has been sponsored by the James S. Kemper Foundation of Chicago since 1948.

Kemper Scholars receive annual scholarship assistance their sophomore, junior, and senior years of college, plus stipends to cover the costs of their work as interns in major non-profit organizations in Chicago during the summer following their sophomore year. Scholars are placed in full-time administrative positions where they can learn about such things as financial management, organizational strategy, fund-raising, and non-profit administration. During the Chicago summer, scholars live in the same apartment residence hall and participate in a weekly seminar while having opportunities to explore the cultural, historical, and entertainment aspects of the city.

During the summer following their junior year, scholars will have varied opportunities for summer internships in the insurance industry at offices of the Kemper Corporation throughout the United States.

Each year all Kemper Scholars attend a national conference to discuss summer projects, meet with former Kemper Scholars, and consider topics in administration, leadership and business. They periodically read and discuss major works on leadership, service, ethics, or business; and they have frequent contact with Kemper Foundation staff to discuss the scholars’ academic and professional goals, as well as their hopes for future careers and learning opportunities.

Categories: Media Advisory, Student