Emerging Leaders of Color Program Leads to New Enrollments
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
This semester, Aisha Mohamed and Nini Dang, both ’24 BSB, became the first students to begin their studies at the Carlson School after participating in the inaugural cohort of the Emerging Leaders of Color program (ELOC).
The free, selective, eight-month program provides opportunities for underrepresented high school students to experience and learn about business at the Carlson School. Students attend monthly workshops where they are exposed to business classes, Carlson School faculty members, potential career options, leaders of the local business community, mentorship from a current Carlson School student, and college preparation activities. The 2019-2020 cohort included 36 students, 61 percent of whom are African American or Black, 58 percent female, and more than half who were in their senior year of high school.
"Not only was I able to meet people who are already in the business industry, but I was also able to connect with other students of color who had the same interests."
“One of the important things for me was the different connections I was able to make through the Emerging Leaders of Color program,” Dang says. “Not only was I able to meet people who are already in the business industry, but I was also able to connect with other students of color who had the same interests.”
“Going through the ELOC program made me much more comfortable with pursuing a business school and going to the Carlson School specifically,” Mohamed adds. “Everybody was so welcoming and willing to help me with any questions I had. You could really see the passion everyone had.”
Mohamed and Dang are joined by 11 other students from ELOC who enrolled at other colleges at the University of Minnesota.
This article appeared in the Fall 2020 alumni magazine
The year 2020 has brought forth unprecedented change. In this issue of our alumni magazine, we explore these changes and the Carlson School’s role in it.