Blackwell Scholarship Program

The Nicsa/William T. Blackwell Scholarship Fund was established as a tribute to former Nicsa President Bill Blackwell’s commitment to education and to recognize outstanding students of the Nicsa family with financial and social support for postsecondary education. Blackwell Scholars receive up to four years of scholarship support, a mentor from a Nicsa member company, and access to career networking and internship opportunities. 

The Blackwell Scholarship strives to honor Bill's legacy as a leader and mentor through his long career at State Street Bank in Boston and as a President of Nicsa, as well as the honesty and integrity that he displayed in his business and personal life.

Each year, Nicsa’s Strategic Leadership Forum (SLF) features the Blackwell Scholarship Charity Golf Tournament. All proceeds from the tournament go toward the scholarship fund. 

Mission & Goals

• Create substantial impact for students with financial need
• Raise aspirations and help students succeed through college and beyond
• Support a new generation of professionals as they prepare to enter the workforce and contribute to our global community

Scholarship

• Renewable up to four years for postsecondary education
• Up to $5,000 per year, depending on financial need
• Multiple scholarships awarded per year
• Funded through donations from Nicsa member firms

Mentoring

• Each Scholar is paired with a volunteer mentor from a Nicsa member company
• Mentor pairings ideally continue throughout the Scholar’s entire tenure in the program
• Mentoring will focus primarily on professional development, though mentors can provide many types of support (e.g., helping Scholars develop resumes and cover letters, providing tips and advice for searching for internships and jobs, networking).

Internships

• Access to Existing Opportunities – Blackwell Scholars who are rising seniors are eligible to apply for summer internships at Nicsa member companies, primarily through existing paid internship opportunities.
• Mentor Support in Securing Internships – Blackwell Scholars mentors focus some of their interaction with Scholars on securing valuable summer and work experiences (inside or outside of Nicsa member companies). Roles can include making connections within the mentor’s own work place, helping with resumes and internship/job searching, and conducting mock interviews.

Other Support

• As the program evolves, it will look to support Blackwell Scholars in other ways such as social networking, job shadowing, career networking, and job placement support. 

The Nicsa/William T. Blackwell Scholarship Program is managed by The Philanthropic Initiative (www.tpi.org) and is funded through contributions from Nicsa member firms. For more information, contact Sharon Rajadurai, srajadurai@tpi.org.