Tafari Beard and Christian Steward have been selected to represent the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as Reginald F. Lewis Scholars.
The University of Louisiana System program is designed to enhance the educational experiences of exemplary Black male students. The Reginald F. Lewis Scholars Program, which was launched in 2021, focuses on academics, social advancement and community service.
The University of Louisiana System chooses two rising sophomores from each of its nine member institutions each year to become Lewis Scholars. The selections are based on academic merit, financial need and leadership skills.
Beard, a moving image arts major from Zachary, La., and Steward, a kinesiology major from Shreveport, La., are members of the program’s fourth cohort.
The Lewis Scholars Program is at no cost to student participants. Scholars receive a full tuition scholarship. In addition, cohorts engage in three key areas:
- the community experience, which includes a partnership with the Universities of Louisiana Management & Leadership Institute and a service learning project;
- the social experience, which includes an annual retreat, and academic and professional mentorship from business, community and university leaders; and
- the academic experience, which includes research projects and a study abroad opportunity in their junior year.
The 2024 cohort was officially introduced during the UL System’s recent Black Male Summit in New Orleans.
Reginald F. Lewis was a prominent financier, entrepreneur, lawyer and philanthropist from Baltimore, Maryland. Lewis, who built the first Black-owned business to generate a billion dollars in annual sales, died in 1993.
Learn more about the University of Louisiana System’s Black Male Summit. Learn more about the Lewis Scholars Program, and how you can support it.
Photo caption: UL Lafayette students Tafari Beard and Christian Steward have been named Reginald F. Lewis Scholars for 2024 as part of the University of Louisiana System’s program. Photo credit: University of Louisiana System