– Earl F. Hord was appointed to chair KSEF’s formation committee and was likewise charged with the responsibility of filing the necessary application materials for its establishment. With the legal assistance of Attorney James E Ford, the infrastructure for KSEF was established in 1991. KSEF has been the conduit in providing scholarships exceeding millions of dollars to well over one hundred students since its inception.

– KSEF also provides mentoring services targeting African American men through its Kappa League Program. This is a mentoring program designed to work with Western PA based minority high school students (young men) with the goal of development of tangible and intangible skills needed to be successful upon completion of high school.

– KSEF serves as a focal point of financial and philanthropic resources to the African American community with particular emphasis on African American men, while assisting in making the Fraternity a more prominent force in the community. Since its inception, recipients of scholarships and financial awards have excelled academically and continue to develop their skills to be competitive in the 21st century.

– To further foster its mission to provide philanthropic support through academic scholarships to high school seniors, KSEF has partnered with Robert Morris University and Penn State University to target a broader pool of talented African American students. KSEF has likewise partnered with NEED to better leverage its scholarship dollars awarded to talented college-bound students. In 2013 KSEF launched the KSEF/Highmark-Aaron Walton Award and in 2014 launched the KSEF/UPMC Award. These corporate backed awards are reflective of KSEF’s continuous success in identifying outstanding students from Western PA.

– In 2016 KSEF launched its partnership with the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) to identify and provide talented students full scholarships to attend CCAC as part of its 2+2 Program. CCAC has a collaborative program with many four year institutions in which students can attend CCAC for two years, receive an associates degree then transfer to one of the many four year institutions and complete the remaining two years for a bachelor’s degree. The benefits include: the significant reduction of costs to receive a bachelor’s degree; full transfer of CCAC credits; receipt of an associates degree; and receipt of a bachelor’s degree in four years.

– In addition to the high school awards, KSEF offers the Marcus P Blakemore Undergraduate Award to talented undergraduate members of Kappa Alpha Psi in the Western Pennsylvania area.

– In 2014 KSEF embarked on an initiative to identify talented high school seniors and college students for potential internships and career opportunities with local corporations. The career initiative began with MARC USA and KSEF is working to expand to other corporations.

– KSEF is governed and managed by a volunteer group of officers and Board of Directors members that dedicate their personal time and resources to the mission of the organization. Under the current leadership of Howard A. Russell, Jr, (Board President) KSEF has established as a goal the continued endowment of financial capital that will allow KSEF to continue to provide scholarship assistance and other support services through perpetuity.

Officers

President
Howard A. Russell, Jr.

Vice President
Robert J Powell

Treasurer
Jerome S. Frank

Asst Treasurer
Jeffery C. Jackson

Secretary
Alexander D. Carlisle

Assistant Secretary
Leroy R. Payne

Board of Directors

Gregory L. Austin
James J. Barnes
Caster D. Binion
Eric Cofield
Michael L. Dear
Samuel E. Evans
Mark S. Lewis
Mose D. McNeese
Eric S Morris
Thomas A. Motley*

Michael A. Phillips
Chauncey W. Smith
Michael B. Thomas*
Dr. Raymond Wynn

* Founding Members

We are pleased to announce that KSEF is seeking candidates for its annual high school scholarship awards program.

The Scholarship Awards Are:

• One full-tuition scholarship (KSEF/RMU Scholarship) to attend Robert Morris University
• Two full-tuition room & board scholarships (KSEF/PENN STATE in Business or Liberal Arts major) to attend Penn State University
• Five KSEF financial award scholarships: first place: $3,500; second place: $2,500; third place: $2,000; and (2) fourth place: $1,000 each.
• Five full tuition scholarships to Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC)
• One Kappa Scholarship ($1,000 to an undergraduate member of Kappa Alpha Psi in the Pittsburgh region)

2014 KSEF FINANCIAL AWARDEE RECIPIENT

Jordan Tyler

School you current attend and high school you graduated from

I am currently a sophomore attending The Pennsylvania State University and I graduated from Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy in 2014.

Why did you choose your university

I chose Penn State because it provides a well rounded world-class education. Its academics are very strong and the extracurricular activities are very important as well.

Current major

My current major is Civil Engineering, I chose this major because I hope to improve life through civil engineering.

Goals upon graduation

My goal upon graduation is to be an established engineer who is ready to be effective in the industry.

GPA, extra-curricular activities, community service, organizations, etc on campus

3.0 and some organizations I am involved on campus are NSBE and the Multicultural Engineering Program. As for extra-curricular activities, I am on an intramural basketball team.

Why was the KSEF scholarship beneficial to you

The KSEF scholarship benefited me because It provided me with the opportunity to be fully focused on school and not worried about finances. It has also paired me with a network of quality professionals that are great role models who influence me in positive ways as mentors.

2012 KSEF FINANCIAL AWARDEE RECIPIENT

Malik Simpson

School you current attend and high school you graduated from

I am currently a senior at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. I graduated from Central Catholic High School in 2012.

Why did you choose your university

I chose to attend NC State because I thought it would be a good experience to see and experience something different than the north. Also, when I came on a visit to the school, I felt very welcome and that it would be a good place to call home.

Current major

Biological Sciences – Human Biology Concentration but in the process of switching to a Business Administration – Finance Concentration with a Biological Sciences minor.

Goals upon graduation

I plan to attend a graduate school and receive my Masters of Public Health. Ultimately, my goal is to become a Healthcare Administrator in a hospital.

GPA, extra-curricular activities, community service, organizations, etc on campus

My current GPA is a 3.0 and I’m involved in multiple organizations. I’m a Spring 2014 initiate of the Kappa Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. I’m also the Secretary for the NPHC on my campus, member of the Society of National Leadership and Success, former Vice President of the Minority Association of Pre-Health students, and a mentor in the Peer Mentor Program.

Why was the KSEF scholarship beneficial to you

The KSEF Scholarship was beneficial because it helped defray the cost of schooling my freshman year of college. College is a very expensive fee, especially being an out of state student, so I was very grateful when I won. Anything helps when it comes to winning scholarship money.

As KSEF continues to provide financial assistance and mentoring to “Our Future Leaders of Tomorrow”, your ongoing support is and will continue to be vital. You can provide donations directly to KSEF either through writing a check or directly through the link below. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Thank you in advance.