First MasterCard Foundation Scholars Complete Their First Semester at Wellesley College

Two MasterCard Foundation scholars are enrolled at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Martha Khalayi, from Kenya, is pursuing a pre-med curriculum with a focus on public health. Refilwe Kotane from Pretoria, South Africa, is interested in neuroscience and plans to study the intersection of medicine and business with an emphasis on pharmaceuticals.

The 10-year, $500 million MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Program, established in October 2012, brings economically disadvantaged students from developing nations to the United States. Many of these students are from Africa. Some 15,000 students are expected to benefit from the program over the next decade. The students receive full tuition scholarships, mentoring and leadership development, and life skills support.

Karen Zuffante Pabon, director of Slater International Center and adviser to international students at Wellesley College stated, “Through this mutually beneficial partnership Wellesley is able provide valuable education and leadership skills to the scholarship recipients, and the scholars provide Wellesley with diverse worldviews and cultural perspectives both in and out of the classroom environment.”