The Jordan Brand Wings Scholars Program is expanding.
The namesake brand of NBA icon Michael Jordan announced its Wings Scholars Program is expanding to the Philippines, which it identified as a key home for basketball culture in a statement. The expansion adds to the program’s existing presence in North America, China and France.
“Showing up for basketball culture is core to our purpose at Jordan Brand,” Craig Williams, president of Jordan Brand, said in a statement. “And when you think about the community in Manila who shows so much love for the game, it only makes sense that we would bring Jordan Wings to them, to extend this spirit of excellence.”
Jordan Brand said via statement that six Filipino undergraduates will join the family of Wings Scholars in 2022. The brand said it partnered with Bahay Tuluyan, a children’s rights-focused non-government organization, to identify “high-performing and committed students who are often the first generation in their families to go on to higher education.” These students will be provided full, four-year scholarships to Jordan Brand partner university Ateneo de Manila.
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The six scholars, who are slated to graduate in 2026, are Jurgen San Agustin, Coleen Reyes, Harriet De Leon, Czarina Leviste, Lean Villar and Adrian De Guzman.
The scholars, according to Jordan Brand, will receive skills training, career guidance and mentorship while at Ateneo de Manila. The rigorous selection process, Jordan Brand said, began with a pool of more than 400 students, and the final group of Jordan Brand Wings scholars were selected “by demonstrating a champion mindset, a drive to excel outside of the four walls of the classroom, strength of character and sharing a love for sport.”
Since 2015, Jordan Brand said Wings has granted more than 2,886 scholarships globally.
Jordan Brand has been busy with Wings in 2022. For instance, the program made an announcement in April at the Jordan Brand Classic, which is a showcase for the best high school basketball players in North America, to announce 34 scholarship winners from across the United States.