By Candice Wilder
Jackson, Miss. – A $500,000 gift from FedEx to Jackson State University will go toward helping business students gain professional development opportunities and expanding academic programs in the College of Business.
The unrestricted money will also be used to expand the business school’s supply chain management center and data analytics lab. During an announcement of the gift Wednesday, March 8, on campus, officials also said they plan to support student scholarships and research and development for faculty.
“This investment from FedEx not only reestablishes the partnership with the university, but it will support programs and better prepare students to be day-one-ready for the workforce,” Business School Dean Nicholas Hill said. “Their preparation matters, their talent matters and their futures matter.”
FedEx gave Jackson State $1 million in 2021 to support educational opportunities and scholarships for students. The corporation has also invested in a $500,000 FedEx-JSU Endowed Scholarship Fund and FedEx HBCU Student Ambassador program.
Rose Jackson Flenorl, FedEx’s global citizenship and human resources manager, spoke to event attendees about the importance of investing in programs to expose students at historically Black universities to internships, leadership training and other opportunities to gain skills to enter the workforce before graduating.
Flenorl, who grew up in Clarksdale, said mentorship and opportunities were very rare. Now that she has accomplished her dream, she recognizes the importance of giving back and supporting students with their career development.
“It’s really about providing a pathway for success to students,” Flenorl said. “All corporations are looking for top talent, and we know that there’s top talent at HBCUs.”
Felecia Stewart-Seard, vice president of Internal Audit International at FedEx, graduated from Jackson State’s College of Business in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Returning to the university and celebrating the gift with students is a “full circle moment,” Stewart-Seard said.
“Everybody believes in taking care of home,” Stewart-Seard said. “And it is so important for me to give back because all that Jackson State has poured into me has led me to where I am today.”
“We are deeply grateful for the continued investment from FedEx, which directly empowers our students specializing in Supply Chain Management and learning technical skills in Data Analytics,” added Nicholas Hill, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business. “Together, we are building a legacy of opportunity that will define the careers of our future alumni through this future-forward collaboration.”
Hill intends for the funding to provide the critical support and workforce training necessary to graduate industry-ready leaders who are prepared to solve complex global challenges. Last month, senior supply chain management student Niel Davis, and senior accounting student Makiyah Barksdale, attended the FedEx-HBCU Leadership and Career Experience in Los Angeles.
“This experience helped me gain clarity on what it truly takes to transition successfully from being a student to becoming a full-time professional,” said Davis, a Chicago native. “Exposure to these real-world perspectives and career pathways is preparing me to enter the workforce with confidence and purpose.”
Barksdale, from Batesville, Mississippi, expressed her gratitude to the global corporation for its continued investment in HBCUs. “It is empowering to know that FedEx sees how valuable HBCU students are. I am extremely grateful for this prestigious investment and the amazing opportunity for not only myself, but also my peers here at Jackson State.”
Anthony Howard, Jackson State University, contributed to this report.
