Two Nicholls Students Selected for Reginald F. Lewis Scholars Program

Nicholls students Caleb Lewis and Eurico Cosme Da Silva Neto were selected to be in Cohort 3 of University of Louisiana System’s Reginald F. Lewis Scholars Program. For the third year in a row, Nicholls is participating in the program, along with the eight other UL System member institutions.

Reginald F. Lewis Scholars is a cohort program designed to enhance the collegiate experience of black males across the UL System. The program recruits black male students and provides educational programs, mentoring opportunities and co-curricular experiences. Each cohort comprises two students chosen from each UL System member institution for a total of 18 new members each year. Nicholls created a committee to review all freshman males who met the criteria for the program, encouraged those students to apply, reviewed applications, performed an interview process and identified the scholars.

Safety management major and Thibodaux native Caleb Lewis is a sophomore who graduated from Alexandria High School. Eurico Cosme Da Silva Neto is a sophomore from Recife, Brazil, who graduated from Escola Governador Barbosa High School, majoring in music with a concentration in music performance. The first year of their program will focus on the scholars’ academic experience, with the opportunity to present their research at the UL System’s Academic Summer as well as other disciplinary progressional academic conferences.

Returning to the program to represent Cohort 2 are juniors Deon Charles and Charleston Rainey, who are set to complete their cultural competency course for their study and travel abroad experience during the 2023-2024 school year. Nicholls senior Cohort 1 scholars John Edmonds and Lance Jones plan to complete their community and service-learning experience projects during the upcoming school year.

“Caleb and Eurico are two of our latest cohorts to receive the Reginald F. Lewis Scholarship. Both young men are the best of the best and continue to strive to become better. I couldn’t be prouder of not only Caleb and Eurico, but of John, Lance, Deon and Charleston, who all laid the foundation for the Reginald F. Lewis cohorts here at Nicholls,” said Dr. Tommy I. Ponson, generalist for residential living and greek life at Nicholls.

“Reginald F. Lewis is the ideal role model—a man who refused to let his circumstances define his life’s path but instead worked harder than everyone around him to realize his destiny; a man who gave of his time and riches to others; and a man who used his influence to elevate others,” said President and CEO of UL System Dr. Jim Henderson. “We are so proud of our Scholars and so appreciate those who are sowing into their success—campus facilitators, corporate partners, state lawmakers, nonprofit organizations, individual donors. The Scholars are poised to become the next leaders of our great state and beyond. Their success knows no bounds.”

The goals of the program are to strengthen the secondary-to-higher education pipeline to enable more Black male students to attend college, increasing admission and graduation rates across the UL System; improving the social, academic and financial support structures for Black male students; facilitating mentoring development; and improving employment prospects for Black males post-graduation.

The three-year curated educational experience supports the pursuit of academic excellence through research and study abroad opportunities, develops knowledge and skills through annual service learning projects by partnering with the System’s Management and Leadership Institute, and strengthens the scholars’ social and network capital through mentorship and the annual scholars retreat.

To support the Reginald F. Lewis Scholars, please consider donating or sponsoring a scholar’s experience here.