About Us
Founding
Joshua Mbanusi founded Scholars Working Ambitiously to Graduate (S.W.A.G) in 2011 after reading an article in the Cornell Daily Sun that mentioned that Black males have the lowest graduation and retention rate at Cornell in comparison with other demographics on campus.
Joshua worked with members of Black Students United to create the framework for S.W.A.G and won a $5000 Pepsi Grant to finance it through its first year. He collaborated with members in the Cornell administration and a vast array of stakeholders at Cornell including BSU; LINK: Black and Latino Men's Alliance; Men of Color Council; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated; Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated.
At the time, Joshua attributed the low graduation rate to university-wide "structural" factors such as limited institutional support and a weak sense of community among Black men on campus.
Joshua Mbanusi founded Scholars Working Ambitiously to Graduate (S.W.A.G) in 2011 after reading an article in the Cornell Daily Sun that mentioned that Black males have the lowest graduation and retention rate at Cornell in comparison with other demographics on campus.
Joshua worked with members of Black Students United to create the framework for S.W.A.G and won a $5000 Pepsi Grant to finance it through its first year. He collaborated with members in the Cornell administration and a vast array of stakeholders at Cornell including BSU; LINK: Black and Latino Men's Alliance; Men of Color Council; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated; Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated.
At the time, Joshua attributed the low graduation rate to university-wide "structural" factors such as limited institutional support and a weak sense of community among Black men on campus.
Mission
The mission of S.W.A.G is to increase retention and graduation rates primarily among Black men at Cornell University. Achieving this goal through:
The mission of S.W.A.G is to increase retention and graduation rates primarily among Black men at Cornell University. Achieving this goal through:
- Academic Enrichment
- Professional Development
- Community Building