SEO to Honor Champions of Opportunities at the SEO Annual Awards Dinner

NEW YORK, April 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, April 18, 2018, SEO will honor three champions of educational and career opportunities at the SEO Annual Awards Dinner at The New York Hilton Midtown, New York City. The evening will take place in the Grand Ballroom where 1,000 guests will gather to raise funds for SEO's programs, which benefit underserved and underrepresented youth in New York City and San Francisco.

SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity)

The evening will shine a light on SEO's flagship program, SEO Scholars, a free eight-year academic program that gets underserved public high school students to and through college – with a 90% college graduation rate. Six SEO Scholars will take the stage to share their stories of overcoming adversity in their personal lives on their journey to and through college.

Honorees are leaders in business, education and philanthropy who have demonstrated their commitment to educational and career opportunities for young people from underrepresented backgrounds. This year, SEO is pleased to honor: Roger C. Altman, Founder and Senior Chairman, Evercore; Jeff T. Blau, CEO, Related Companies; and Joseph Y. Bae, Co-President and Co-COO, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., SEO Career Alumnus '93. This year, Frank Bisignano, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, First Data Corporation, will serve as Chairman of the Annual Awards Dinner.

SEO Chairman Henry R. Kravis, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., and Gayle King, co-anchor of CBS This Morning and editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine, will participate in the evening's program.

In addition to SEO Scholars, SEO is comprised of three other distinct programs – SEO Career, SEO Law, and SEO Alternative Investments. These programs aim to achieve greater diversity and inclusion in the workforce by providing access across all sectors of business, law, and politics for those who have been traditionally underrepresented.

"There is one common thread that runs through all our programs," says Henry Kravis, Chairman of SEO. "That is helping underserved and underrepresented young people meet and surpass the existing standards, whether for admission to and graduation from top tier colleges, or entry into some of the most coveted industries in our global economy. SEO provides opportunities to move young people forward, to the benefit of themselves, their families, their communities, and our nation."

Since 1963, SEO has provided educational and career opportunities to over 13,000 young people from underserved and underrepresented communities, breaking barriers both in higher education and the corporate world.

About SEO

SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) was founded in 1963 with a mission to provide talented and motivated young people from underserved and underrepresented communities with access to superior educational and career opportunities. Today, SEO runs four programs: SEO Scholars is a free, eight-year academic program that gets low-income public high school students to and through college—with a 90% college graduation rate; SEO Career is the nation's premier pre-professional development and internship program providing Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native American undergrads with coaching, training, and access to internships across multiple lines of business; SEO Law is an academic, career development, and internship program for Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native American incoming law school students providing intensive academic prep, all before students start their first year at law school; SEO Alternative Investments provides education, exposure, trainin g and mentoring opportunities to talented professionals and students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the sector. Nearly 90% of AI Fellows have secured jobs in the alternative investments sector.

For more information, visit www.seo-usa.org.

Contact:

We are happy to coordinate interviews with our honorees, members of SEO's executive team, and SEO Scholars. For access to the event and to coordinate interviews and photo opportunities, please contact Karmen Royall at 646-435-9559 or kroyall@seo-usa.org.

For more information: www.seo-usa.org www.seoscholars.org

Media Contact:

Karmen Royall, Associate Director of Communications, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Phone: (646) 435-9559 / (917) 287-1370 Email: 193298@email4pr.com

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