Graduate Gives to Her Alma Mater, Awarding Scholarships to HBCU-Bound Students

Zollie McClendon Memorial Foundation Scholarship Recipients

Cleveland, OH — Tyger McClendon is the founder of the Zollie McClendon Memorial Foundation (ZMMF). She returned to her Alma Mater, Cleveland Heights High School to present the annual Zollie McClendon Memorial Trunk Scholarship to students who are entering their freshman year of college at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). The students must also have a 3.0 GPA or higher to be eligible for the scholarship. It was always a dream of McClendon’s to attend an HBCU. Although that dream did not come to fruition, she is determined to aid the youth in her community with their dream.

This year, McClendon presented eight seniors with the trunk scholarship during the Senior Recognition Awards Program at Cleveland Heights High School on Wednesday, May 22nd. The two remaining recipients of the scholarship attend other local high schools in the Cleveland metropolitan area and its surrounding suburbs. The students are attending, but not limited to Howard University, Fisk University, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Shaw University, Morgan State University, and Dillard University. The Zollie McClendon Trunk Scholarship will supply the students with essentials for their dorm room. Such as bedding, bath towels, decorations, storage, and more. Gifts like these help to make a student’s new space like home. It shows them that there are people that care and poise them to have a great start to their collegiate careers.

McClendon takes girls to Africa for Life Changing Experience

Zollie’s Angels is a leadership and mentoring group, under the umbrella of The Zollie McClendon Memorial Foundation, created to provide a safe space where young ladies come to receive support, guidance and leadership training to empower them and assist them to build foundations as they step forward in their lives. The young ladies are also challenged with completing several community service projects throughout the Greater Cleveland area.

The first community service project will be at Haven Home. Haven Home is a shelter that provides housing for women and children in the Greater Cleveland area. The members of ZMMF will pack purses with hygiene products that include, yet not limited to, soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc. Once the purses are filled, they will be given to women at the Haven Home.

With the young ladies volunteering, serving and giving to others, this allows others to give back to them. On Friday, December 27th until Sunday, January 5th, The Zollie McClendon Memorial Foundation (ZMMF) is embarking on the experience of a lifetime. ZMMF is taking approximately 14 young ladies that are participants in Zollie’s Angels to South Africa. Traveling to Africa will allow for members of the foundation to engage in an educational learning experience.

Due to the young ladies completing their service, they will experience this trip, ALL EXPENSES PAID. The trip includes tours at national parks, monuments, and museums. This will provide the young ladies with the opportunity to meet with other youth in the communities visited and so much more. Beginning the trip in Johannesburg and ending it in Cape Town will assure a powerful insight on the culture and history of South Africa.

ZMMF is looking for potential sponsors/donors to support the cost of the trip for the young ladies. Donating to support the Zollie’s Angel’s trip to South Africa provides the young ladies with a deeply emotional and psychologically impactful experience resulting in an experience that is once in a lifetime, but will be one of the most memorable memories of their lifetime.

For additional information regarding the Zollie McClendon Memorial Foundation, visit their Facebook page. For additional information contact Ms. McClendon at [email protected]

ABOUT THE ZOLLIE MCCLENDON MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

Tyger McClendon is the Founder of The Zollie McClendon Memorial Foundation. She is an Alumnae of Cleveland Heights High School and John Carroll University. McClendon created this organization to help young ladies navigate through their teenage years. Growing up, McClendon didn’t have a great support system. So, she was determined to not only provide a support system to the young ladies but also to provide opportunities to help them excel in life.

Ms. McClendon formed a foundation and named it Zollie McClendon, for her Great-Grandmother, a nurturing and living soul that was a pillar of strength and survivorship. Each year, the foundation offers programs that focus on at-risk youth. Specifically, focusing on teenage girls and the problems they face in society. These programs focus on issues that teen girls face daily such as appearance, education, safe dating, domestic violence, bullying, friendship, sisterhood, self-esteem, peer pressure, and depression.

At the core of the reorganization, of the foundation, was the desire to create a safe space where youth could come to feel supported and protected generally and when they felt they couldn’t call anyone else they could reach out and connect with a mentor from Zollie.