HispanicBusiness

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) has awarded $150,000 in college scholarships to students of African American, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic descent, who reside and plan to attend college in the United States.

The MassMutual Scholars program is a national scholarship program for eligible students interested in careers in the insurance and financial services industry. This year, MassMutual awarded $2,500 and $5,000 scholarships to 33 high achieving college students from diverse backgrounds to help them pursue their higher education dreams.

One of this year's recipients is Jakarah Porter, a student at Dillard University majoring in Economics and Finance. She says one of her goals after college is to help educate the African American community and youth everywhere about how to properly manage and budget their finances, and feels that the MassMutual Scholars program will help her in her mission.

Student applicants were evaluated on their academic performance and commitment, as well as a personal essay where many shared poignant stories about their desires to achieve a degree and their need for assistance.

Porter's application touched on her own observations of individuals in her community poorly managing their money, which has inspired her to explore careers in financial services. "Many people long for a more financially fulfilling life, but do not know the proper steps to take in order to achieve it. That is why I am passionate about being dedicated to helping others to discover their path," she said.

MassMutual is focused on providing an opportunity for higher education and employment to students who reflect the rich cultural diversity of our nation. It is the goal of the MassMutual Scholars program, to increase the number of minority students completing college nationally, raise awareness of careers in financial services, and recruit and retain the top talent touched by MassMutual's programs.

"I'd like to congratulate all of this year's MassMutual Scholars," said Nick Fyntrilakis, Vice President of Community Responsibility at MassMutual. "It is rewarding to know that so many students are diligently working towards obtaining a college degree and that the MassMutual Scholarship can help them get there."

The MassMutual Scholars program is just one of the many initiatives that are a part of MassMutual's Community Responsibility programs, which provided more than $7 million in charitable contributions in 2011. In addition to a national scholarship, the company's Career Pathways Program, offered in our home office communities of Springfield, Mass. and Enfield, Conn., supports eligible high school and college students through scholarships, internships and experiential learning opportunities focused on careers in financial services. MassMutual has also provided more than $625 million in free term life insurance coverage to eligible working families across the country - helping protect children's educational aspirations. MassMutual pays all insurance premiums on the policies as part of our unique LifeBridge(SM) Free Life Insurance Program, which began in 2002. Finally, MassMutual's corporate giving programs include national programs that provide MassMutual's financial professionals the opportunity to engage in their local area, and support education, community vitality and economic development initiatives in our local communities.

To learn more about all of MassMutual's Scholarship programs and community responsibility initiatives visit www.massmutual.com/education.

The 2012 MassMutual Scholars are:

Pamela Aaron Florida State College at Jacksonville

Iris Ayala University of Phoenix

Leon Bland Jr. University of Phoenix-Online

John Brown Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Tanay Colon University of Phoenix

William Darden Old Dominion University

Daniel Eay University of Phoenix-Online

Melissa Hernandez University of Texas at Austin

Hunter Hoyer University of Central Missouri

Karitsa Kerns Johnson C Smith University

Chunyou Lin Baruch College-CUNY

Yailicy Martinez Bellarmine University

Edwin Martinez University of Phoenix-Orlando

Novice McLish University of Fort Lauderdale

Dishmey Medina Antillian Adventist University

Yesenia Melendez Arizona Western College

Sharan Nealis Baker College Flint - Online

Thi Nguyen University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan

Eric Ni University of California-San Diego

Sofia Nurish University of Phoenix-Online

Walter Palomino Iriate California State University - Los Angeles

Christopher Parkhurst California State University-Sacramento

Tanner Payne Brigham Young University

Paloma Pena Kennesaw State University

Jakarah Porter Dillard University

Robert Robinson Sam Houston State University

Paul Schee University of Illinois at Chicago

Rianna Small University of Phoenix- Online

Shalitia Smith St. Petersburg College

Tiffany Taylor University of Virginia

Erica Tiscareno San Diego State University

Jone Wong New York University

Kelvin Yee Skyline College