Billionaire who vowed to pay off Morehouse students’ loan debt creates paid internship program
Billionaire Robert F. Smith wants to get students involved in a new internship program that links them to the world of STEM
Billionaire Robert F. Smith wants to get students involved in a new internship program that links them to the world of STEM
Robert F. Smith, the billionaire who blessed hundreds of 2019 Morehouse grads with the gift of promising to pay off their student loan debt, has now created a paid internship program for students.
The prolific businessman now aims to help at least 1,000 students through Intern X, a paid internship of at least 8 weeks that introduces students to opportunities in STEM-related positions, according to its website.
READ MORE: 5 keys for success from African-American billionaire Robert F. Smith
Students can gain experience working for companies in the financial, marketing, software, not-for-profit and real estate sectors, like AT&T, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Deloitte, Citi and Vista Equity Partners.
Smith is looking to connect with students who represent ethnically underrepresented groups who are rising sophomores and have at least a 2.8 GPA.
The program is an extension of Smith’s Fund II Foundation.
Smith is paying it forward after vowing to pay off the student loan debts accumulated by hundreds of Morehouse grads.
The generous billionaire tech investor was this year’s commencement speaker, and made the shocking announcement.
“My family is going to create a grant to eliminate your student loans. You great Morehouse men are bound only by the limits of your own conviction and creativity,” Smith told the crowd of students, parents and supporters in Atlanta.
READ MORE: How Robert Smith’s pledge to pay my $150K student loan debt saved me from giving up on my dreams
The announcement drew a standing ovation and chants of “MVP! MVP!” from the audience.
“When Dr. King said that the ‘arc of the moral universe bends toward justice,’ he wasn’t saying it bends on its own accord. It bends because we choose to put our shoulders into it together and push,” Smith said during his speech.
Students can register for InternX by visiting https://internx.org/register/student.
