Committee Reports

Multicultural Concerns Committee
Respectfully submitted by Jacki Jackson and Derek V. Gatling, Co-chairs

The Multicultural Concerns Committee has worked hard this year to bring our vision to reality by working with the many dedicated members and committees of NJASFAA. We are grateful for all of their efforts and contributions that have helped us accomplish our goals and objectives for this year. One accomplishment that we are proud to share with the body is the creation of a new award for minority high school students called the NJASFAA Multicultural Students Award (formerly known as the Jackson/Bivins Award).

Multicultural Committee Sub-Committees (Corporate Sponsorship and the Minority Student Award) are collaborating with the Scholarship and Development Committee to administer and develop this new award that will be given to five Minority High School Students from the 30 Abbott Districts throughout NJ. We are on target to present the first Multicultural Student Awards during the Fall Conference 2004.

Our statewide fund-raising and community campaign will begin this year at the Fall Conference by recognizing the founders of the award, NJASFAA Past Presidents Dr. Jesse G.Jackson and Emmett Bivins. We would like to also take this opportunity to express our gratitude and thanks for their legacy of excellence in service as pioneers who paved the way for the association to be fiscally sound, sensitive to the needs of members and students.

We thank everyone in advance for your continued support in this wonderful initiative. We, the gatekeepers, will continue the legacy of providing resources for our students to finance their education as they pursue excellence in higher education.