mlkmartin luther king jr

MLKMARTINLUTHERKING JR.

S C H O L A R S H I P P R O G R A M

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The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Program Coordination conducted a national survey via Google Forms aiming at collecting information regarding the impact of the program among MLK alumni nationwide. It focuses on their current academic and professional status, as well as on their participation in leadership initiatives and community service experiences after their graduation.

This survey was sent to 725 former MLK fellows who have participated in the program since it started to be implemented in 2006, and until the very last cohort that graduated in 2020 and

2021 in the cities of Apartadó, Barranquilla, Bogotá, Buenaventura, Cali, Cartagena, Medellín, and Quibdó.

The analysis shown in this annex provides information based on the 380 responses collected from March to May 2021. Likewise, this information is presented in seven different sections: Personal information, higher education opportunities, Fulbright opportunities, community service, leadership, academic opportunities overseas, employment-related information, and program impact.

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The chart below compares the number of MLK fellows who were sent the survey with the number of actual respondents per city.

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Personal Information

ApartadóBarranquillaBogotáBuenaventuraCaliCartagenaMedellín Quibdó

298111731

14780138102

1661621866377050

City Number of former fellows who were sent the survey

Number of former fellows who completed the survey

Total 725 380

380 Former MLK Students completed the MLK National Survey

The following graphics show information about the cities where participants completed the program and the year when they graduated. Historically, the cities with more graduated MLK students per cohort have been Medellín and Cali. Consequently, these two cities register the highest participation of respondents. Opposite to it, Buenaventura and Quibdó show a lower percentage of participation, perhaps due to internet connection constrains in the regions where these two cities are located

In which city did you completethe program?

ApartadóBarranquillaBogotaBuenaventuraCaliCartagenaMedellínQuibdó

16:4%

61:16%

62:16%

18:5%66:17%

37:10%

70:19%

50:13%

https://n9.cl/pr8ahto see the survey

answered by students

Likewise, most students who responded to this survey graduated between 2018 and 2021. Three cities were incorporated to the program during this period: Bogotá, Buenaventura and Apartadó.

��As shown in the graphic below, 287 former MLK students hold undergraduate degrees, while the other 93 students have already completed postgraduate programs; 23 of them have studied specialization programs, 36 have obtained a master’s degree, five have studied a PhD, and 29 have completed different graduate certificates. It is worthwhile to remark that a big portion of the survey participants, 80 of them to be exact, are alumni who completed the program in 2020-2021, which means that most of them have not finished their undergraduate program yet.

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When did you finish the program?20072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020-2021

5:1% 2:0% 6:2% 2:1%

4:1%

4:1%

10:3%

13:3%

35:9%

15:4%

88:23%52:14%

122:32%

22:6%

Highest education level achieved

Undergraduate degreeEspecialization degreeMaster´s degreePhDOthers

287:76%

23:6%

36:9%

29:8%

5:1%

A significant number of fellows have studied postgraduate programs in international universities: 35 students out of the 93 former MLK students who hold postgraduate degrees have completed their studies in countries such as Germany, England, and Spain. Nine out of the 35 students completed their postgraduate programs in the United States

Programcompletion year

Number ofstudents

2007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019

2020-2021

526210422134

35158852122

Country where you completed your postgraduate degree

ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaEcuadorGermanyInglandMexicoPanamaSpainUnited States

Colombia:58:72%

united states11%

SPAIN:3:4%

MEXICO:3:4%

PANAMA:1:1%

argentina:1:1%BRASIL:1:1%

CHILE:1:1%

ENGLAND:1:1%

ecuador:1:1%GERMANY:2:3%

Former MLK fellows have completed their postgraduate programs, both, in public and private institu-tions of Colombia and other countries as well. The chart below shows the list of universities where participants completed their graduate and postgraduate studies:

Colegio Mayor de AntioquiaCorporación Universitaria Americana Universidad EAFITESAPUniversidad ICESIUniversidad La Gran Colombia Universidad Libre de ColombiaUniversidad Nacional de ColombiaUniversidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de ColombiaUniversidad Pontificia BolivarianaUniversidad Pontificia JaverianaUniversidad San BuenaventuraUniversidad Santo TomásUniversidad Sergio ArboledaUniversidad Simón BolivarUniversidad Tecnológica de BolivarUniversidad Tecnológica del ChocóUniversidad Autónoma de GuerreroUniversidad Autónoma de ManizalesUniversidad del ValleUniversidad de SantanderUniversidad Autónoma de Morelos

1141211712111111111111

Universities from Colombia where former MLK students completed their postgraduate degrees

Number of students per institution

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Flensburg UniversitätHoward UniversityUniversidad Autónoma de TaxclalaUniversidad de Buenos AiresUniversidad de CantabriaPenn State UniversityTexas A&MNebraska University Universidad Autónoma de GuerreroUniversidad Autónoma de MadridUniversidad Autónoma de MorelosUniversidad Federal Rio de JaneiroUniversitätsklinikum Düsseldorf University of DaytonUniversity of FloridaUniversity of MassachusettsUniversity of MissouriUniversity of SheffieldUniversidad Autónoma de Madrid

1111221111111111111

Universities from abroad where former MLK students completed their postgraduate degrees

Number of students per institution

Most former MLK fellows have studied postgraduate programs in the field of humanities, science, and engineering. These are some of the most common areas studied:

• Education• Law• Political sciences• Philosophy• Linguistics• Natural sciences

• Medicine• Data analysis• Project management• Engineering • Finance

��Nine former MLK fellows have participated in the Fulbright Program.

Have you participated in any Fulbright scholarship program?

YESNO

98%

2%

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Most of the nine former MLK students who participated in a Fulbright program obtained a scholarship for Afro Descendant leaders at different universities from the United States; for instance, Francis López Mosquera, a former MLK student from Medellín obtained a master’s degree in civil engineering at Nebraska University back in 2017. Likewise, Digna Paola Mosquera Cuesta, a former MLK fellow from Medellín was granted with a scholarship to study a master’s program in economy at Howard Univer-sity, she is currently studying this program, and will be graduating in 2023.

Have you taken part of any social initiatives or creation of foundationsafter graduating from the Martin Luther King Jr. Program?

YESNO

264:69%

117:31%

�� The leadership component from the program has had a significant impact in most of the former MLK students who completed the survey. As shown in the following graphic, 264 respondents have reported to be involved in social and community initiatives after graduating from the program.

Some of the initiatives mentioned have been created or co-founded by former MLK fellows from different cities around the country. These are some of those foundations and social initiatives:

• Afro Vibes: An entrepreneurship project based on the ethnic identity, legacy and heritage of Afro-Colombian communities.

• Colectiva Nzingha Akanforá: A group seeking to create spaces for social and political representation of Afro-Colombian communities.

• Colectivo Mujeres Wiwas: A social cause to dignify the history of Afro-descendant communities, same as to empower Afro-Colombian women living in Medellín.

• Comité Afro Comuna 10 Cali: A committee created to work in pro of their own ethnic community and their social system.

• FERCS- Fundación Empodérate de tus Raíces: Former MLK fellows created a foundation to support communities on the creation of sustainable economic systems based on local products.

• Fundación Casa Mangle: A foundation created in the neighborhood San Pedro y Libertad from Cartagena to preserve the mangroves from the area.

• Fundación Jóvenes de mi Tierra: A foundation created by a group of young leaders from Barbacoas, Nariño, that seeks to provide children and teenagers with spaces of social participation based on Human Rights.

• Fundación Liderum: A foundation created back in 2020 to support children from low-income communities with English lessons, same as to provide them with elements to become leaders in their communities.

• Fundación Sinergia Pacífico: A foundation that focuses on providing people from low-income communities from Buenaventura with social, environmental, cultural and bilingual education.

• Fundación Shillapu: A foundation that focuses on the recovery of ancestral knowledge of the Pastos indigenous community through educational projects based on their traditional medicine.

• Misión Guajira: A personal project to provide leaders from the Wayúu Community in La Guajira with training sessions on environmental education, leadership, entrepreneurship, and theology.

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• Bert Corona Leadership: The Bert Corona Leadership Institute (BCLI), is a multicultural agency founded to train, develop, and build networks of youth and adult civic community leaders. This institute is located in the area of Los Angeles.• ELAP: The Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) scholarships provide students from Latin America and the Caribbean with short-term exchange opportunities for study or research, in Canada, at college, undergraduate and graduate levels.• IBC-HUWIB: The Intercollegiate Business Convention is an annual event organized by the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business. It focuses on building a global support network for women in the field of business. • Fundación Botín - Programa para el Fortalecimiento de la Función Pública en América Latina: This is an 8-week program offered by the government of Spain to strengthen the political competences and leadership skills of young leaders from Latin America.• SUSI: Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Scholars are post-graduate level academic programs for mid-career foreign scholars, designed to strengthen curricula and improve the teaching about the United States in academic institutions abroad. This program is implemented by the US Embassy.

• TSU Without borders: This course is designed to provide participants with a cultural and academic exchange experience. Each student is paired with a student from another country and expected to participate in an intense research project aligned with a specific theme. This program is implemented by Tennesse State University.• W2W: This is program that provides young female leaders around the world with tools and strategies to lead their communities.

• Afrobello• Colectivo Empréndete 21• Colectivo La Chinita• Corporación CasaBeat Escuela• CREARTE• EXIM• Fundación Abrazos• Fundación Afros Unidos• Fundación Amo mi Cali• Fundación Convergencia• Fundación Germinar-Fortalece• Fundación Jóvenes por Ayapel• Fundación Manos Visibles

• Fundación Mario Santo Domingo• Fundación Más Sonrisas• Fundación Miguel Alejandro• Fundación Mundo Azul • Fundación Sonrisas por la calle • Fundación Volando Juntos• UNICANCER• Organización CADHUBEV• Red Colombiana de Ingeniería y Desarrollo Social • Proyecto Visión Afro• Youth Colombian Leaders Foundation • YMCA

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��Not only have former MLK fellows created initiatives, they have also been chosen to participate in opportunities abroad to enhance their leadership skills. As shown in the following graphic, 56 former MLK students have reported that they have participated in academic and leadership programs abroad:

Have you participated in any leadershipor academic program abroad?

YESNO

57:15%

326:85%

These are some of the programs in which respondents have participated:




A significant percentage of the MLK alumni completed their academic and leadership programs in the United States, 20 out of the 33 students who had the chance to complete their programs in the U.S. obtained a scholarship through SUSI, four of them obtained a scholarship in the Bert Corona Leadership Institute, the other nine former MLK students participated in programs offered by different American universities, including Harvard University, Tennessee State University, George Mason University, among others.

The graphic below shows the list of countries where students completed their academic and leadership programs and the percentage of students per place.


Country where you completed an academicor leadeship program

United StatesSpainMexicoCanadaArgentinaGermanySouth KoreaNorwayIngland

United states:X:69%

SPAIN:5:11%

Mexico:2:4%

canada:2:4%

argentina:2:4%germany:1:2%

south korea:1:2%norway:1:2%

england:1:2%

��According to the information collected through the survey, 183 former MLK students are currently working while the other 197 respondents are unemployed. It is worth mentioning that at the time this report was written, the vast majority of alumni who completed the program in 2020-2021, had not finished their undergraduate programs.

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Are you currently working?

YESNO

183:48%

197:52%

Are you currently working?

167:91%

16:9%

In terms of work areas, 91% of alumni are currently working in the fields of education, health, law, leadership, management, social work, communication, and marketing; while a 9% is working in the fields of research, engineering, design, gender-studies, and tourism.

Additionally, 56% of students surveyed reported to be working for private companies, while the other 44% of MLK fellows work for the national government.

Education, health, law, leadership, management, social work, communication, and marketing.

Research, engineering, design, gender-studies, and tourism.

Participation of MLK fellows in Private and Public institutions

102:56%

81:44%

Alumni currently working for private companies.

Alumni currently working for governmental institutions.

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The following is the list of companies and institutions where former MLK students are currently working:

• ACI Transport• Afro Vibes Store S.A.S. y Bienes & Abogados S.A.S.• Alcaldía de Medellín • Alcaldia de Santander de Quilichao• Alcaldía de Turbo - Secretaria de Salud. • Alcaldía San Estanislao • Área Metropolitana de Medellín• Asociación de Personas con Autismo • Asociación Shaquiñan• Bogando entre saberes• Buses y Autos de Colombia• Cafam• Cámara Colombiana de Comercio Electrónico• Cámara de Comercio de Urabá• Canal Capital• Casa de Pensamiento Intercultural Gue Atyqqib Xaguara• Centro de Estudios Afrodiaspóricos, Universidad Icesi• Centro de Innovación del Pacifico• Chocó Joven• CI INTERAMERICAN CONMINAS SAS• CI UNIBAN SA• Colombo Americano Medellin • Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca• Corporación Manos Visibles• D.SKEY TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS• Desk Vitual Solutions• Diseñador gráfico freelancer• Escuela de Robótica del Chocó• Festival de Cine Ambiental de Cali - FINCALI• Fiscalía General de la Nación de Colombia• FruBaTec• Heartland Alliance International

• HILTI• Hospital italiano de Buenos Aires Argentina• ICBF• ICETEX• IGT COLOMBIA • Intertug Sam Towage • Invias• Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz• Juzgado tercero civil del circuito de Barranquilla• La casa del niño y el deporte• LATAM• Medecins du monde • Meridian Consulting• Moving Design S.A.S• OIM • Onelink BPO• OPL SOLUCIONES Y PROPIEDADES GAITAN• Rama judicial • Secretaría de Educación de Medellín• Secretaría de Educación de Villavicencio• Secretaría de Educación del Huila • Texas A&M• The Pennsylvania State University • UAESP- Secretaría Distrital de Habitat• Unidad de Restitución de Tierras• United Parcel Service (UPS) • Universidad del Atlántico • Universidad del Valle• Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó• Universitätsklinikum • University of Missouri • USAID

Seventeen alumni reported to be working as teaching assistants, teachers or professors at different schools, universities, and institutions in Colombia and abroad. Other former MLK students work as project coordinators or managers, consultants, team leaders, etc. Likewise, it is important to highlight that a significant number of respondents have reported to hold bilingual positions at their workplace. The list below shows the positions hold by the former MLK alumni who completed the survey.

• Audit assistant • Bacteriologist• Business developer• CEO• Communicator• Community agent• Community manager• Consultant • Contractor• Coordinator• Council member

• District attorney• Field engineer• ICT analyst • Industrial designer• Lawyer• Management assistant • Manager• Marketing assistant • Marketing executive • Physiotherapist• Projects assistant

• Quality trainee• Research assistant• Spanish teaching assistant• Speech therapist• Surgery assistant

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As for the last section of this survey, former MLK students were given an open-ended question to describe how their participation in the program had contributed to achieving their academic and professional goals. The answers obtained constitute evidence of how meaningful the leadership component was in helping students become more active members in social and cultural contexts, by creating and participating in social initiatives to address issues and problematics faced by vulnerable communities.

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El programa de becas Martin Luther King Jr. Ha sido y será una gran herramienta para mi desarrollo profesional y personal. La oportunidad que tuve de ser beneficiario de este programa me permitió formarme como líder, aprendí a trabajar en equipo, a trabajar en pro del desarrollo de mi comunidad y además logré conectar mis pasiones, por un lado, la arquitectura y por otro la de ayudar a mi comunidad. Gracias a esto ahora tengo ese sentir de responsabilidad social de ayudar a los demás y busco con cada proyecto que realice a portar al desarrollo de mi comunidad y hacerlos participes todos los procesos porque al fin todo gira entorno a ellos.

“The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Program has been and will always be a great tool for my professional and personal development. The opportunity I had being a beneficiary of this program has allowed me to become a leader, I learned to work in a team, to work in pro of the development of my community and I also got to connect my passions on one side, architecture, and helping my community on the other side. Thanks to this I now have this sense of social responsibility of helping others, and I look for helping my community with each of the projects I carry out, I foster their participation in all the processes because everything goes around them, anyways.”

Yeison Andrés Mosquera Mosquera. Former MLK fellow from Quibdó, cohort 2017.

Mi participación en el programa, ha contribuido en mi a aplicar los conocimientos adquiridos en liderazgo dentro de mi organización. He logrado empoderar mucho más los procesos internos del grupo de tal forma que el años pasado (2020) fuimos ganadores de estímulo económico del Ministerio de Cultura. Con este beneficio realizamos un proceso investigativo muy valioso con la comunidad indígena Embera Chami de Karmatarua. Así mismo, mis estudios en inglés han Sido muy tomados en cuenta a la hora de participar del mercado laboral.

Likewise, the answers collected show a positive impact of the program in the academic and professional development of all respondents, former MLK students have described the academic component as an effective and constructive process that has provided them with the tools required to access better study and job opportunities in Colombia and abroad.

My participation in the program has contributed to applying the knowledge acquired in leadership in my organization. I have got to boost the internal processes of the group so that last year (2020) I won a grant from the Ministry of Culture. Thanks to this benefit we worked on a very valuable research process with the indigenous community Embera Chamí from Karmatarua. Likewise, my studies in English have been considered when participating in the labour market.

Marisol Calambás Soscué. Former MLK student from Medellín, cohort 2012-2013

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Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Program changed my life. Participating in this program made it possible for an Afro-Colombian woman from the department of Chocó, like me, to study a master’s program in the United States and to graduate with a PhD in Sociology at 25, returning to her country to create a research center in the fields of the African diaspora and to be currently starting a postdoctoral position at Harvard University. This program shows society how much a person can do when they are offered this kind of opportunities. Thank you to all the team that made and keeps making education possible for people with life trajectories like mine. The legacy you leave in our lives is immense. Thank you for contributing to the equity and social justice with this type of initiatives.

Aurora Vergara Figueroa. Former MLK fellow from Cali, cohort 2007

El programa de becas Martin Luther King Jr. cambió mi vida. La participación en este programa posibilitó que una mujer afrocolombiana del departamento del Chocó, como yo, se formara en los Estados Unidos a nivel de maestría, se graduara a los 25 años de un doctorado en Sociología, retornara a su país, creara un centro de investigación en el campo de estudios de la diáspora africana y estar, en este momento, empezando una estancia posdoctoral en Harvard. Este programa le demuestra a la sociedad lo mucho que una persona puede hacer cuando se le ofrecen oportunidades de esta naturaleza. Muchas gracias a todo el equipo que hizo, y sigue haciendo posible, la formación de personas con trayectorias de vida similares a la mía. El legado que dejan en nuestras vidas es inconmensurable. Gracias por contribuir a la equidad y a la justicia social a través de este tipo de iniciativas.

I keep promoting projects from AfroBello, the organization I have belonged to even before joining the program. Currently, I oversee shipping processes of COVID vaccines from North America to South America in an airline. This would have not been possible without the English component from the MLK program.

Jadith Guevara Moreno. Former MLK fellow from Medellín, cohort 2017-2018

Sigo impulsando los proyectos de AfroBello, organización a la que pertenezco desde antes de entrar al programa. Actualmente soy la encarga de coordinar envío de vacunas COVID, entre otros, desde Norteamérica a Suramérica para una aerolínea. Esto no hubiese sido posible sin la formación en inglés del programa MLK.

��According to the information collected from this survey, the program has had a positive and significant impact in the participants’ academic and professional development. The academic component has become an important tool and platform for MLK fellows to be able to access scholarship and internship opportunities in Colombia and abroad, allowing them to obtain graduate and postgraduate certificates that have taken their carrier plans further. As previously mentioned, the language component has highly benefited MLK fellows in terms of study and job recruitment processes; many former MLK fellows currently hold bilingual positions in the fields of education, marketing, and management.

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Likewise, it is essential to highlight that the leadership component has had a meaningful and substantial impact among former MLK fellows and their communities. This component served as a first step for many MLK alumni to undertake social initiatives to better the quality of life of their own communities.

The National Coordination of the program has made a special effort to build a solid alumni community by sharing information about academic and professional opportunities via email and social media, and by inviting them to actively participate in different local and international academic events.

https://n9.cl/keppx7

to consult the details of this survey

CONTACT INFORMATION

COLOMBO AMERICANO MEDELLÍN

COLOMBO AMERICANO BARRANQUILLA

COLOMBO AMERICANO BOGOTÁ

COLOMBO AMERICANO CALI

Janet Van DerenGeneral Director

[email protected]

Luz Libia ReyAcademic Director / MLK Mentor

[email protected]

JoEllen SimpsonGeneral Director

[email protected]

Beth BartlettMLK Mentor

[email protected]

COLOMBO AMERICANO CARTAGENAMario Ramos Vélez

General [email protected]

Diana CortinaEdUSA and Marketing Coordinator / MLK Mentor

[email protected]

Sara Barceló MartínezGeneral Director

[email protected]

Juan PachecoAcademic Coordinator / MLK Mentor

[email protected]

Juan Carlos RuizNational Coordination Assistant / MLK [email protected]

Michael James CooperGeneral Director

[email protected]

Claudia Villa NaranjoAcademic Director

[email protected]

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS

NATIONAL COORDINATION

This project is possible thanks to the support of the American people through the UnitedStates Agency for International Development (USAID).

MLKMARTINLUTHERKING JR.

S C H O L A R S H I P P R O G R A M

mlkmartin luther king jr

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