HOUSTON – Purpose and drive are words heard in Revlon’s commercial for their brand Crème of Nature. Those two words easily describe Howard University sophomore Charlye Jackson.
“I was drawn to an HBCU because I wanted an experience where I was no longer the minority, but instead the majority to prepare me for the real world,” she said.
Jackson is a proud Houston native, and It’s that H-town pride that led her to compete for the Crème of Nature legacy of leadership scholarship.
“It’s a series of events,” Jackson described. “They give us speeches, prepare us for the actual pitch and competition.”
Revlon partnered with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to create the scholarship competition for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
“We’re not just all about the product,” said Stephanie Burks, the senior director of marketing for Revlon MCG. “I can tell you, working for big companies, most of the time I was the only one in the board room or the conference room that looked like me,” she said.
Burks said although Revlon’s Crème of Nature hair care brand isn’t Black-owned, it’s Black-born; and the business pitch program is helping them connect with a new generation.
“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Burks said. “You know, we can reach out to them and they can tell us information and we can help them further their education.”
Jackson’s team came in second place. Her pitch focused on expanding their marketing.
“We felt that they needed to engage a bit more with their consumers of Black women and learn a bit more about them,” Jackson said.
She was personally awarded a $1,500 scholarship and the reward of confidence after pitching her ideas to Revlon executives.
Jackson said growing up in Houston helped prepare her for the opportunity.
“It shaped me into the person I am. Recognizing diversity and important issues, not only in the Black community, but other minority communities,” she said.
In total, Revlon Crème of Nature awarded $30,000 in scholarships to HBCU students around the country.