NBA superstar LeBron James recently made headlines as he announced that he will be sponsoring full scholarships for 1,100 University of Akron students under his I Promise program. The project aims to challenge “middle school students to attend classes and graduate.”
A native of Akron, Ohio himself, the popular basketball player said that this is actually a “very special” thing for him.
“As a kid growing up in the inner city and as an African American kid, you don’t really think past high school because it’s not possible or your family can’t support you,” he tells ESPN in an interview.
University of Akron has a tuition of $9,500 for one year which means the scholarship will be worth about $42 million to cover for all 1,100 beneficiaries for 4 years, provided, of course, that they accomplish the requirements set by the program.
In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have. @uakron @Chase #IPROMISE pic.twitter.com/m9s51eTxON
— LeBron James Family Foundation (@LJFamFoundation) August 13, 2015
The university, on the other hand, renamed their teaching college The Lebron James Family Foundation College of Education to express appreciation for his extraordinary commitment to help their students. “You can come to LeBron’s college and become a teacher, help kids succeed in life,” said university president Scott Scarborough.
Who Is LeBron James
Born LeBron Raymone James, the 30-year old professional basketball player currently plays for Cleveland Cavaliers and is considered the team’s all-time leading scorer.
According to Wikipedia, James has successfully won 2 NBA championships, 4 NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, 2 Finals MVP Awards, 2 Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and the Rookie of the Year Award.
Forbes ranked him as one of the most influential athletes in the world scoring multiple endorsement deals for various brands.
Also, he is known for his charity work supporting various organizations (such as the Boys & Girls Club of America and the Children’s Defense Fund) as well as establishing the LeBron James Family Foundation which organizes yearly bike-a-thon events to raise money for different causes.