Morehouse Student Loan Debt Eliminated

One of the top stories that was making the news was related to that of the Morehouse College graduating class of 2019. Morehouse College is a well-known all-male HBCU located in Atlanta, Georgia that had nearly 400 graduating seniors in attendance at the ceremony.

One of the speakers at the commencement ceremony was Robert F. Smith, who is a billionaire technology investor and philanthropist. He made an announcement during the commencement that brought tears to those in attendance as he announced that his family is providing grants to wipe out the student debt of the entire 2019 class at Morehouse College. While he was there during the ceremony, Smith received an honorary doctorate from Morehouse. Previous to this phenomenal announcement, he had announced that he would give a $1.5 million gift to the school in January, which will help with the creation of a new park as well as an endowment scholarship. During his speech, he told the students, "You great Morehouse men are bound only by the limits of your own conviction and creativity." Not only is this greatly motivating, but by wiping out the student loan debt he is removing a financial limit or roadblock that could have hindered some of the graduating class.

For those who are unfamiliar, Smith is the Founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. Vista Equity Partners is a private equity firm that invests in software, data, and technology-driven companies. Not only that, but he is also the largest private donor to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It's clear that Smith truly cares about HBCU's and the students that attend them and wants to help in any way he can. His announcement just changed lives for the better, and we can't help but be impressed by his philanthropy.