Thunder Fellows Announce New University Of Tulsa Scholarship Program

The Oklahoma City Thunder is launching a new program to give some students a full-ride scholarship to the University of Tulsa.

The scholarship is for two graduating seniors in the Thunder Fellow after-school program every year.

The executive director of the program says it could make a big impact on young people.

"This is incredible, incredible development for our program and for our young people," said Thunder Fellows Executive Director Cedric Ikpo.

Ikpo says this scholarship is a transformational opportunity for students.

The program aims to help black high school students in Tulsa find job opportunities through a curriculum based on data and analytics.

Each scholarship is valued at $180,000 or $45,000 a year.

TU College of Business Dean Kathy Taylor says a scholarship this big is rare.

"This one is really focused with a purpose. We know that these will be top students from the Tulsa area. We want to increase both the diversity and the number of Tulsa students that join the TU family," Taylor said.

"Having seen their curriculum and some of the things they're doing, they're doing things that our college students are doing as well. So we know these will be the leaders of tomorrow," Taylor said.

Ikpo says he is happy he can be part of the effort to help Black students succeed, which he said he wishes could have benefitted him.

"I wish I had a program like this. I didn't have a full ride by any means and so for this opportunity to exist at a prestigious university like the University of Tulsa at that price plan...I mean the value and the numbers speak for themselves," Ikpo said.

Recipients will also have benefits like being placed with a mentor and having a guaranteed internship after their sophomore year.