“My Brother’s Keeper” Scholarship Helps Minority Business Students

Joe Schlater

Mercy College is supporting President Barack Obama’s call to action to help young people by asking community members to contribute to the College’s “My Brother’s Keeper Scholarship.” In 2013, Mercy College collaborated with Joe Schlater, a finance executive, to establish the “My Brother’s Keeper Scholarship” fund to benefit African-American or Hispanic males enrolled in Mercy’s School of Business.

Schlater was inspired to start the scholarship after meeting James Holmes, a business honors student at Mercy who grew up in a crime-stricken area of South Central Los Angeles. Schlater met Holmes through a Virtual Enterprise competition.

“I felt strongly that if I did not do something to help these students advance academically and socially, they might never have the chance to really fulfill their dreams,” Schlater said.

Schlater admits that he almost lost his way during his high school years—but didn’t thanks to family support. He now has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, serving both institutional and high-net-worth individuals. The scholarship is funded by Schlater for two years; he and the College are now looking for additional contributions.

The President’s signature initiative issues a call to action focused on “helping more of our young people stay on track, providing the support they need to think more broadly about their future.”