As One Of 10 Colleges Recently Chosen Nationwide To Receive A $1 Million Gift As Part Of TikTok’s Response To COVID-19
The University of South Dakota is getting some recognition from the global social media company, TikTok, as one of 10 colleges recently chosen nationwide to receive a $1 million gift as part of TikTok’s response to COVID-19. The gift is part of the social media platform’s Health Heroes initiative, focused on supporting health-care related scholarships benefiting enrolled tribal members and other students, according to a press release from the university Wednesday. TikTok has roughly 100 million active monthly users in the U.S. alone, the release states.
“The University of South Dakota is home to the state’s only medical school and only comprehensive school of health sciences, and our students are among the most skilled, compassionate and capable. They are tomorrow’s leaders in health care,” USD President Sheila K. Gestring stated. The scholarship enables USD to better support Native American students, students from underrepresented communities and students with financial needs as they pursue academic excellence, she stated. The gift comes just as USD is preparing for its third annual giving day, Unite for USD, Feb. 18-19, 2021, the release states.
USD also offers opportunities for K-12 Native American students to explore a wide range of health care career options, including the Native American Healthcare Scholars Program (NAHSP), Indians into Medicine (INMED) program, Pine Ridge Scrubs Camp, Healthcare Careers Summer Camp and the He Sapa Health Careers Summer Camp. “Health care workers are the heroes of the global pandemic, and deserving heroes within the TikTok community. We are honored to be able to continue our commitment to the healthcare community,” said Belinda Frazier, head of culture and diversity, TikTok North America. “We believe the next generation of health heroes should be reflective of the world around us and we are proud to support medical and health education programs that serve Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students.”
This news was originally published at Argus Leader