The Infinite Scholar Program is a program that assists disadvantaged minority students, primarily African-American and Spanish-speaking Americans, by providing mentorship and the financial support for them to continue their education at colleges across the nation. The program’s goal is to bring qualified students in and set them up to enlist in the Marine Corps and go to College.
What the program recognized was that there are many young people who are not aware of commissioning opportunities in the United States Marine Corps,” so participation with the Infinite Scholar Program is to one, share Marine Corps opportunities with young people who are already academically qualified for programs, and two, just to spread the word about scholarship options, mainly NROTC with the Marine option.
The students involved with the I.S.P. typically start out in a mentorship program, where they receive guidance from mentors starting in the 7th and 8th grade. The goal is to have the students’ prepared to attend college by the 10th grade. From there, the students transition into “College Scholars” during their junior year of high school where they are encouraged to start and finish their bachelors’ degree and move into a master’s program.
The program has fairs that provide a venue for students to meet with college representatives. The fairs are held in 19 cities nationwide and have over 50 schools in attendance. While admission is free, students are required to bring an unofficial copy of their transcript, two letters of recommendation, a resume and an essay.
Due to the enhanced requirements, the students are often able to find out on the spot if they are accepted to attend that particular school or if they meet scholarship requirements.
This is where the Marine Corps comes into the picture. Many of the students involved in the Infinite Scholar Program are uniquely qualified to become Marine Corps officers due to their high grade point averages and ACT scores. According to Maj. Frank Moore, diversity officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, working with the I.S.P. shows the students a different path they can take to their degree.
For more information on this program, visit their website, www.infinitescholar.org.
