The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports, and Entertainment is a part of Jay-Z’s mission to educate the next generation of industry makers. The program offers academic opportunities, scholarships, and a summer academy, as their mission is to close the college completion gap by providing high-achieving students with financial needs access to high-quality education at a national teaching and research institution.
Justin Williams is the assistant director of the Roc Nation Hope Scholarship and spoke with rolling out about the program and what they offer.
What is this program about?
This is [based] upon bringing creatives together and giving them the opportunity to further their education. We are an undergraduate program with one master’s program. We have five majors which are applied music, vocal performance, music, technology, and entrepreneurship, course management, and sports marketing and communication.
What is your role?
One of my hats is to be a promise coach, which helps facilitate classes for students and point them in the right direction as far as internships, one-on-one mentorships, and externships.
What can this program do for students looking to make a name for themselves in music, sports, and entertainment?
One of our faculty directors is Young Guru, who is the director of the music, technology, and entrepreneurship program, and that gives students the opportunity to one-on-one [facetime] with him and pick his brain on a daily basis. That’s what sets us apart from other universities across the country.
What have you learned since joining this program?
I’ve learned how to explore the creative minds of others and get them on the right track, and get them to see more of the world. We want to open them up to more opportunities and future careers in the sports and entertainment industry.
