Two Exceptional University of the District of Columbia Students Awarded Scholarships in a Ceremony on Campus
Today, May 10, 2024 at a ceremony on campus, the Structured Finance Foundation, an affiliate of the Structured Finance Association (SFA), awarded $10,000 educational scholarships to Kayleah S. Shelton and Torian K. Powell, two exceptional University of the District of Columbia (UDC) students.
Since 2017, the Structured Finance Foundation has awarded over $1,100,000 in scholarships to 41 students. This scholarship was established in 2020 with a gift of $80,000 to support students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in finance, accounting, or economics in the UDC School of Business and Public Administration.
“Our foundation strives to ensure that smart, hardworking students from all backgrounds have a chance to succeed and become leaders of our industry,” said Covell Adams, Executive Director of the Structured Finance Foundation. “Kayleah and Torian are shining examples of the next generation of leaders in finance, and we are proud to support their education.”
“Kayleah and Torian have succeeded academically and demonstrate great potential to become future leaders in our industry,” said Aashh Parekh, Chair of the Structured Finance Foundation Board of Directors. “On behalf of the Structured Finance Foundation, I congratulate these bright, impressive students and encourage them to persevere throughout their careers in the finance industry.”
“Thank you to the Structured Finance Foundation for consistently supporting our students by investing in the quality education offered here at UDC,” said Dr. Alex Tan, Department Chair and Professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance at the University of the District of Columbia. “These deserving students have a world of opportunities open to them thanks to the Structured Finance Foundation, SFA, and the industry members of SFA.”
SFA and UDC have a non-financial partnership intended to close the racial gap in the finance industry by investing in students from underrepresented backgrounds. Their partnership includes curriculum input, educational briefings, job search support, informal mentorship opportunities, and full-time paid summer internships.
In recent years, SFA has launched a series of initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion in the securitization industry. In 2014, SFA launched its Women in Securitization (WiS) initiative to support the retention and advancement of women in the structured finance industry. In 2020, SFA launched its DEI initiative with the goal of ensuring the participation of minorities in the industry.
About the Recipients
Kayleah S. Shelton is a rising junior studying accounting and finance at UDC. Kayleah serves as the Undergraduate Student Government Secretary and has interned at Deloitte. Torian K. Powell is a rising senior studying accounting and finance at UDC. She is an intern with UDC’s Dean of the School of Business and Public Administration and has volunteered for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute.
About the Structured Finance Foundation
The Structured Finance Foundation seeks to support youth education through partnerships with UDC, Scholarship America, and Mentor Foundation USA to develop and provide scholarship programs for young people. Since 2017, the foundation has awarded 41 students over $1,100,000 in scholarships. The Structured Finance Foundation also connects scholarship winners to the significant network of the Structured Finance Association membership, which represents all sectors of the securitization market including issuers, investors, financial intermediaries, law firms, accounting firms, technology firms, rating agencies, servicers, and trustees.
For inquiries, please contact Walt Cronkite, Director of Communications at the Structured Finance Association. Walt.Cronkite@StructuredFinance.org