Recipients Selected for Second Round of PIDC-D’Alessio Scholarship for Urban Development

by PIDC
September 15, 2020

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PIDC is proud to announce the second round winners of the PIDC-D’Alessio Scholarship for Urban Development. The scholarship was launched in 2019 to support graduate students at Philadelphia schools seeking to pursue a career in urban development and finance. The scholarship was created by PIDC in recognition of M. Walt D’Alessio’s decades of commitment and leadership at PIDC; his many years of service to Philadelphia’s business, civic, and governmental communities; and his support for people across the profession.

Earlier this year, PIDC reported that our credit & portfolio management intern, Cokie Mayenpu Nanka, and our real estate services intern, Jill Audra Schoenfeld, were the inaugural scholarship awardees. For the second year of the scholarship, PIDC has selected Temple University student, Kareem Groomes, and Drexel University student, Kelly Highum, as our scholarship winners. The recipients will each receive a $2,500 scholarship and a paid PIDC summer internship. Read on to learn more about our new scholarship recipients.

Kareem Groomes

Philadelphia, PA

EDUCATION:
Masters of Public Policy with a certificate in City and Regional Planning

“The subsequent responsibility anointed to the powerful is not a binary of choosing between right and wrong. Instead, that responsibility is the sum of faiths, and sacrifices, words of wisdom, and tribulations imparted on to us. So, when Uncle Ben (Benjamin Parker – a character from the Marvel comic ‘Spider-Man’) speaks of power and responsibility, I believe he means the power of those faiths to change the future, and our responsibility to honor them. I think the PIDC internship is my chance to honor those who have imparted their faith and wisdom on to me, so that I may divine a power capable of upholding their hopes.”

Kelly Highum

Minneapolis, MN

EDUCATION:
Master of Science in Urban Strategy, Drexel University

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with an organization that completes such important work! This scholarship will allow me to learn more about the world of economic development, and how we can drive our communities in an upward trajectory using smart capital investment. I’m hoping to make a positive impact on the Philadelphia small business community, and act as a vessel for effective growth.”

For updates on future scholarship opportunities, check back online here.

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