Roxbury Community College’s Class of 2020 student Jimmy Dorielan was recently presented with Liberty Mutual Insurance’s annual LEADA@Liberty Scholarship. Mr. Dorielan was among this year’s five 2019-2020 recipients who each received $2,500 per year for each of the four years of their college career. Launched in 2017 and administered by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the LEADA@Liberty scholarship is available to students of African descent attending community colleges in Massachusetts.
“Forging new partnerships within the community is just one way Liberty Mutual’s employee
resource groups are working with the diversity and inclusion team to expand our future
talent pipeline,” said LEADA@Liberty Operations Chair Stacy Ann Hull. “Investing in
students’ college careers gives Liberty Mutual an opportunity to reach the next generation
of insurance professionals and help them chart a path to success.”
Developed by Liberty Mutual’s Employees of African Descent and Allies (LEADA@Liberty) employee resource group, the scholarship assists with college tuition for Massachusetts students who are enrolled in a community college through the Massachusetts Commonwealth Commitment and who plan to complete a degree at a state university or University of Massachusetts campus. The other recipients of the 2019-2020 LEADA@Liberty Scholarship are Ugochukwu Amadi, North Shore Community College; Adedapo Azeez, Massasoit Community College; Chelsea Edo, North Shore Community College; and Ifunanya Nwabara, North Shore Community College.
“How things work has always been fascinating to me. Growing up I was constantly watching my father take apart things and put them back together and it is his work that motivated me to pursue a mechanical engineering degree,” said Dorielan. “Being an engineer gives me an opportunity to find solutions to problems I’ve had or have witnessed mechanics and engineering majors struggle with and it presents the opportunity to connect and work with professionals who are facing similar problems that I once faced. As I work towards this degree, my goals are to be phenomenal in everything I’m a part of, by using my time wisely and working to my fullest potential.”
The Commonwealth Commitment is the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s innovative college affordability and completion plan that aims to help more Massachusetts students achieve the dream of a college career. The plan commits Massachusetts public colleges and universities to providing a series of financial incentives to students who begin their studies at one of 15 community colleges, earn an associate degree within two and a half years, and then transfer to a state university or University of Massachusetts campus to earn a baccalaureate degree.
"Liberty Mutual’s generous support of the Commonwealth Commitment program helps us ensure that students of all races and ethnicities are able to learn," said Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Carlos E. Santiago.
In addition to the scholarship, through the Commonwealth Commitment, students who
attend college full time and maintain a 3.0 GPA receive a freeze on tuition and fees,
a 10 percent rebate at the end of each successfully completed semester, and a full
MassTransfer tuition waiver in their third and fourth years at a university.
“Without vital supporters like Liberty Mutual, UNCF New England could not help to
advance educational opportunities for students in the Greater Boston area,” said UNCF
Northeast Vice President Diego Aviles. “Since 1944, more than half a million students
have been able to realize a higher education thanks to a UNCF scholarship and the
generosity of companies like Liberty Mutual.”
For more information, please visit the LEADA@Liberty scholarship web site.
About LEADA@Liberty
One of Liberty Mutual’s six employee resource groups (ERG), LEADA@Liberty—Liberty
Employees of African Descent and Allies—provides meaningful connections, professional
development and ongoing support, while acting as a resource to influence inclusive
business practices.
ERGs represent different affinity groups — groups formed around shared backgrounds and experiences — and their allies — those who support people beyond their own background, culture or experience. They are led by executives and co-chairs and are company-sponsored. Liberty Mutual’s Diversity & Inclusion team provides each group with a budget and oversight, and all ERGs follow a framework that supports the company’s broader business objectives, called the 4Cs: culture, community, career and commerce.