ANN ARBOR—Two University of Michigan students are among the 25 students from 17 colleges and universities nationwide selected to receive the 1997 Rockefeller Brothers Fund Fellowships for minority students entering the teaching profession.

The RBF Fellows from U-M are William J. Thompson of Ann Arbor and Isaias Cantu Jr. of San Juan, Texas.

“The Fund continues to be impressed by the talent, commitment and enthusiasm of the applicants for its minority teaching fellowships,” said RBF president Colin G. Campbell. “These are young women and men who will surely make significant contributions to our nation?s schools and to society.”

Fellows will each be awarded up to $18,000 beginning in their junior year of college and ending once they have begun public school teaching. Initially, Fellows will receive stipends of up to $2,500 during the summer following their junior year to undertake projects related to teaching. Following graduation, Fellows will receive a stipend of $9,000 to $12,000 for full-time graduate work in education or a related field. For those who have incurred debts in pursuing their education, the Fellowships will assist with loan repayment of up to $1,200 annually for each of the first three years that the Fellow continues teaching in the public school system.

To be eligible, students must be enrolled in one of the 25 colleges and universities that have been chosen to participate in the Fellowships program. These institutions show a record of commitment to the education of minorities and have as a stated goal the improvement of teaching in the public schools.

More information:

• Rockefeller Brothers Fund