"Pathways to Diversity" Program to Open Doors for Multicultural Students

In an effort to increase awareness of public relations and corporate communications as a career choice among ethnic minority college students, the Arthur W. Page Society will help support the college education of seven students this year.

The Page Society contributed a total of $20,000 in scholarship funds through its "Pathways to Diversity" program, launched last fall. The program is designed to foster diversity within the field of public relations and corporate communications, create new educational and career opportunities, and open doors for students of every background and origin.

"We are committed to promoting diversity broadly within the business community and to paving a path for our industry that is more reflective of the multicultural and global marketplace we serve," said Tom Martin, president of the Page Society and senior vice president, corporate relations, ITT Industries, Inc.

The Page Society contribution will fund two scholarships of $5,000 each, awarded this month by INROADS, Inc., an organization that works with Fortune 500 companies to provide leadership development and professional training of outstanding ethnically diverse students. The INROADS winners are Rosena Francois, of Miami, a student at Florida State University in Tallahassee, and Eric Garner, of San Francisco, a student at Morehouse College, in Atlanta. A committee of Page Society members judged applicants and determined the scholarship recipients in partnership with INROADS.

The balance of the Page Society contribution was awarded to the Lagrant Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the number of ethnic minorities in the fields of public relations, marketing and advertising. The Page Society's $10,000 gift to LaGrant will help fund another five scholarships in public relations, also announced this month. The winners are: Aprill Williams, Hampton University; Christina R. Bird, Florida International University; Shenneth Dove-Morse, Howard University; Thalia Karesia M. Batan, Boston University; and Thomas A. Dinh, University of Southern California

The scholarship winners are all college students in journalism, public relations or communications. They were chosen based on a variety of criteria such as exemplary leadership skills, grade point average, community activities, and writing and verbal skills. As part of the criteria, students were required to write an essay on the importance and relevance of the Page Principles which include telling the truth, proving it with action, listening to the customer, managing for tomorrow, conducting public relations in the interests of all, and remaining calm, patient and good-humored.

"We have a long way to go, but the Page Society's 'Pathways to Diversity' program is one step in the right direction," said Debra Sanchez-Fair, who co-chairs the Page Society's task force on the issue. "In our role as industry leaders and mentors, the Page Society seeks to encourage, create and even model a business approach that values inclusiveness – knowing and understanding that the best possible thinking, ideas and results can only come from a truly diverse body of talent that represents multiple backgrounds and nationalities."

The Page Society is evaluating plans to undertake industry research and invest in other activities designed to create more opportunities for people of all colors and backgrounds and to inspire a greater number of ethnic minority students to choose public relations and corporate communications as a career.

INROADS, Inc. is a national/international 501(c) 3 career development organization. Its mission is to develop and place talented minority youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership. INROADS interns develop their professional skills through multi-year internships at more than 800 major corporations across the country.

The Lagrant Foundation is a 501(c) 3 organization whose mission is to increase the number of ethnic minorities in the field of communications by providing scholarships, career development, enrichment and internship programs, mentors and professional development training to qualified ethnic minority students.

About the Arthur W. Page Society

The Arthur W. Page Society is a professional association composed primarily of the chief communications officers (CCOs) of the world's top multinational corporations, and the CEOs of the world's largest public relations agencies. The organization's members also include academics from the leading business and communications schools.

The Page Society is dedicated to strengthening the management policy role of chief communications officers. The Page Society is upheld by management concepts, known as the Page Principles, which have been tested for more than half a century and have earned the support and respect of chief executive officers throughout the country. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Arthur W. Page Society.