
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 30, 1994                   TAG: 9406300115
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FLEMING GRAD GETS MINORITY GRANT

Albert J. Collier, a William Fleming High School graduate, has received a $20,000 college scholarship from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Virginia in a pilot program to increase the number of blacks qualified for management jobs in the Roanoke Valley.

The scholarship, to be given annually beginning this year, is for minority students in the Roanoke area.

John Berry, executive vice president for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, said Wednesday that the scholarship recipients will work for the insurance company during the summer.

They will not be required to work for Blue Cross/Blue Shield after they graduate, he said, but the company hopes they will choose to do so.

"We are hoping they will stay on with us," Berry said. "We are looking for people who want to stay in the Roanoke area."

If the scholarship program is successful in Roanoke, it might be tried in other areas, he said.

Collier, who was accepted to nine colleges and universities, will attend Virginia Tech. He plans to major in business with a minor in mathematics.

"I hope to work for Blue Cross and Blue Shield when I get out of school," he said. "That is what I want to do."

The scholarship includes paid summer employment at Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Satisfactory work performance is a condition of ongoing eligibility for the scholarship program.

"This young man had an outstanding academic and leadership record at William Fleming High School, and we are pleased to afford him the opportunity to continue his studies," Berry said. "It is important to companies such as ours to nurture tomorrow's work force."

Collier had a 3.5 grade-point average throughout high school and was a member of the National Honor Society. He is a member of Maple Street Baptist Church and is an avid tennis player.

To keep his scholarship, Collier will be required to maintain a 2.0 grade-point average during his freshman year in college, a 2.3 average for his sophomore year and at least a 2.5 average during the final two years.

Collier was chosen from a group of seven candidates by a selection committee that included school officials, community leaders, community agency directors and Blue Cross/Blue Shield staff members.

by CNB