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Written by Thrive Scholars
Thrive Scholars Cleveland announced today that Nordson Corporation Foundation (Nordson) will invest $100,000 to Thrive Scholars Cleveland to support the non-profit in its mission to provide high-achieving students of color from low-income communities the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges and in high-trajectory careers like STEM, finance, business, and law.
“We are excited to partner with Thrive, as they build their program in Northeast Ohio. The Nordson Corporation Foundation is a longtime supporter of education, and we are especially dedicated to offering educational opportunities to traditionally underserved but incredibly deserving students,” said Sundaram Nagarajan, president, and chief executive officer, of Nordson Corporation.
The $100,000 investment from Nordson will benefit ongoing expansion efforts and Thrive Scholars’ 17 current Cleveland Scholars, of which 14 are Black/African American, two are Asian, and one is Latinx/Hispanic. From this group, eight are enrolled in the Life Sciences and Tech & Engineering career development programs.
“Nordson is one of our region’s most respected companies, so to be in a meaningful partnership with them brings tremendous value to the work we are seeking to accomplish to propel Cleveland Scholars on a path to economic mobility,” said Dr. Steven Lake, Executive Director, Thrive Scholars Cleveland. “This partnership enables us to continue to provide academic preparation, financial, social-emotional, and career counseling support to build the diverse talent pipeline needed here in Cleveland and across our region.”
The partnership announcement comes on the heels of Thrive Scholars’ College Signing Day, recognizing the high school senior class of 2022 and their admission to top colleges and universities across the country. Thrive Cleveland will celebrate five Scholars graduating this year with an average GPA of 3.79, attending Ivy League universities, including Cornell, Columbia, and others, this fall to study STEM fields, business, and law.
Thrive Scholars is currently in its 20th year of operation. Since its founding in Los Angeles, Thrive has expanded to include Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, and New York; with plans to expand to two new sites each year. Nationally, over 1,300 students have participated in Thrive programming since 2001, with over 80 percent of students in the program attending top 50 colleges. Currently, 900 Scholars nationally are participating in the six-year program, from 11th grade through college seniors.
Thrive Scholars’ inaugural Career and Leadership Conference was made possible by conference supporters including The Davis Companies, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Galileo, GEI Consultants, Holland & Knight, Houlihan Lokey, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Shearman & Sterling, Klaviyo, Nespresso, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, The TJX Companies Inc., and UBS Wealth Management.
About Nordson Corporation
The Nordson Corporation Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life in communities where its employees live and work by improving educational outcomes that enable individuals to become self-sufficient, active participants in the community. It’s the foundational arm of Nordson Corporation, an innovative precision technology company that leverages a scalable growth framework to deliver top-tier growth with leading margins and returns. Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, the Company has operations and support offices in over 35 countries. Visit Nordson on the web at www.nordson.com, www.twitter.com/Nordson_Corp, or www.facebook.com/nordson.