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A: To endow a scholarship for undergrads or a fellowship for graduate students, Stanford requires a minimum amount of $250,000. The donated funds are merged with the general investment assets of the Stanford University endowment and then grow based on the performance of the overall endowment. Stanford’s endowment has $15.2 billion of assets and is the third largest university endowment in the United States. Over the last 10 years, the portfolio has returned an annualized 14.8%.
A: The monies we raise will be entered in the University’s books and records as an endowed fund known as "The Okokon B. Okon III Fellowship Fund". The base amount along with the investment appreciation will provide the funds for Okon Fellowship awards for years to come.
A: As of mid-August, seventy (70) alumni have pledged nearly $260,000. To date, we have funded $147,000. This means that if you have pledged funds but not yet sent in your money, please do so as soon as possible. Every dollar funded gets us closer to our goal.
A: Stanford has been a supportive, guiding force behind this Fellowship Campaign. The Office of Development and the School of Engineering have helped with alumni contact information, distribution letters and materials and endorsing the Fellowship website. The university is very excited at the prospect of this fellowship being the first of its kind named after an African American student.
The School of Engineering believes a graduate student body that is both highly qualified and diverse in terms of culture, class, race, gender, ethnicity, background, work and life experiences, skills, and interests is essential to the educational process. One goal of the School of Engineering is to actively recruit and retain diverse students who enhance the overall program, and ultimately graduate with an engineering degree. This new Fund will help accomplish that goal.
A: Yes.
A: Donations to the Fellowship are donations to Stanford University, and are not tax deductible.
A: To date, there has been no progress made in solving Okon’s murder.
A: Simply log on to www.okonfellowship.org, a website we designed to provide more information about Okon. One of the things that has touched us most are the people who only met Okon once or twice, but have also given money to support the Okon Fellowship. To us, it is a testament to the kind of person that he was and the impression that he made on people. You do not have to be a graduate of Stanford university to support the Okon Fellowship.
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A: Okon was committed to the Stanford community at-large. He loved learning and enjoyed teaching and mentoring younger students as well. We are sure that those qualities resonate with each of us. A review of his life and legacy makes it easier to give whether you majored in Engineering, English or Economics.
Okokon B. Okon III (1968-2004) was a Stanford engineer and entrepreneur who inspired many as a role model, teacher, and friend. A graduate of Stanford University School of Engineering, he earned his BS in 1989 and his MS in 1991, and co-founded two software companies. Okokon Okon was described as articulate, whip-smart, full of ideas and energy, and possessing a boundless curiosity. He taught himself French and Portuguese, became a connoisseur of food and music, and served as a mentor to many young African-American students at Stanford. A descendant of Nigerian chiefs, Okon was an important figure on campus especially for black engineers. In the words of his friends, “he showed that it could be done.”
Given Okon's leadership on campus and his accomplishments as an engineer and entrepreneur, support of this fellowship will inspire future engineering students to follow in his footsteps by pursuing graduate degrees. This fellowship fund in memory of Okon will encourage and support talented students from around the world who might not otherwise enroll and earn advanced degrees in engineering.
We all know that the 21st Century is the era of ground-breaking technology. We also know that there are not enough engineering graduates in America, particularly ethnic minorities. This Fellowship is a way to help address these issues for decades to come. We believe that this fellowship is a tangible way of helping to address these issues, both now and in the future.
A: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (“the Board”) shall provide fellowships for graduate students enrolled in the School of Engineering at Stanford University, with a preference for students who meet the following criteria:
- Stanford University School of Engineering students who have elected to pursue a co- terminal masters (1st choice) or doctorate degree (2nd choice);
- GPA of 3.00 or higher;
- A preference for nominations of African, African-American, Hispanic American, and American Indian students, as well as others who add diversity to the School’s education environment; and
After considering the preferences above, the applications will be evaluated on the basis of how the applicants currently demonstrate any or all of the following twelve lessons that Okon taught us all:
- Keep love in your heart for everyone and everything
- Honor your father and your mother
- Put your family extended and otherwise- first
- Maintain your friendships
- Dream big
- Laugh a lot
- Be positive
- Take good care of your health
- If you really want to learn something teach yourself
- Commit yourself to constant education
- Travel the world
- Become a lover a music
(this should be music that you would not necessarily hear on MTV)
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