THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND AND RECIPIENTS

To commemorate the vibrant life of their beloved daughter, Drs. Jack and Gloria Tuckfield established the Jacki Tuckfield Memorial Graduate Business Scholarship Fund (JTMGBSF) at Dade Community Foundation on October 21, 1997. Scholarships are awarded to United States citizens who are African American residents of South Florida and are enrolled in graduate business degree programs in Florida Universities. Recipients must plan to pursue their professional careers in South Florida. Since its inception, JTMGBSF has granted 169 scholarships (totalling $178,000) to graduate business students attending ten Florida universities: Barry University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Florida State University, Nova Southeastern University, Saint Thomas University, The University of Central Florida, The University of Florida and The University of Miami.

For the 2006-2007 academic year JTMGBSF offers $30,000 in $1,000 graduate business tuition scholarships.

JTMGBSF serves as a long-term strategy of intellectual wealth building which fulfills Jacki’s vision of improving diversity in the administrative, executive and managerial levels of the South Florida workforce. Although African Americans comprise 20 percent (450,680 people) of Miami-Dade County’s 2.25 million population, they hold less than 6 percent of these top-level positions. Jacki wanted to reduce this disparity and improve the quality of life for all residents of South Florida. JTMGBSF is administered by the non-profit, tax exempt Dade Community Foundation, at a fee of less than two percent.  Founded in 1967, Dade Community Foundation has an exemplary record of philanthropic service to Miami-Dade County.

Scholarship recipients will be selected by the Board of Directors of JTMGBSF. Checks will be issued by Dade Community Foundation made co-payable to the scholarship recipient and to the university in which he/she is enrolled, to defray the cost of tuition.