Lifting up the young, gifted and Black! Established in 1992 after the tragic death of Speech’s older brother Terry, the Dr. Terence N Thomas Scholarship was endowed with $20,000 by the Thomas family and another $25,000 was given by Speech the following year. The Scholarship fund was incorporated in Wisconsin as a 501(c)3, nonprofit corporation. Since 1996, over 50 of our students have graduated from universities! Next year we will surpass the $ 1 million dollar mark in stipends to students from neighborhoods often described as at-risk.

Our students must maintain a 3.0 annual GPA in order to continue their scholarship award into the following academic year. This scholarship has an average retention rate of 98% annually! Most go on to post graduate studies. We presently have doctors, lawyers, communication specialists, clergy, accountants, international business specialists, elected officials, educators, social workers, business owners and pharmacist graduates! And most return to Milwaukee to become community thought leaders. It’s working!