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Empower Me Tour helps black students plan for college

Empower Me Tour helps black students plan for college
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CINCINNATI -- Hundreds of black Cincinnati students packed the Duke Energy Center Thursday afternoon with college on their minds, and the United Negro College Fund was there to help them reach their goals.

"We're all about educating them," said Stacey Lee, director of the UNCF's Empower Me Tour. "We're all about teaching them about financial aid, we're all about talking about what are the tools you need to in order to attend college."

For high school seniors such as Jeremiah Toney, it was the perfect chance to get a head start on his goal of attending the University of Cincinnati.

Throughout the college tour provided in the program, students were exposed to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and offered on-site advice about admissions and college prep.

"It builds more opportunities for me," Toney said. "It builds foundation, connections and it helps me get more of an understanding of college and what I want to do."

Wells Fargo and Procter and Gamble both sponsored the Empower Me Tour, which P&G's Crystal Harrell said they viewed as a chance to build a strong base of future workers.

"It allows us to have additional impact within the communities by helping students and exposing them to all the opportunities that are available to them," she said.

Target, another sponsor, also allowed students to apply for $25,000 in scholarship money.

"If my parents don't have to pay for it that will be a big help on them, and all I have to do is do good in school," senior Jalien Evans said.