Sun Life becomes inaugural corporate sponsor of Bentley University program for first-generation college students

WELLESLEY, Mass. and WALTHAM, Mass., April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Life U.S. has partnered with Bentley University as an inaugural corporate sponsor for first-generation college students within the school's FirstGen Presidential Fellows (FPF) program. The Sun Life FirstGen Scholarship Fund, established with a $100,000 corporate gift, will support two FirstGen Presidential Fellows for each of their four years at Bentley. Launched last fall, Bentley's FPF program engages a small group of high-achieving students from underrepresented groups in an array of holistic offerings to promote academic, professional and personal development. During the students' four years at Bentley, they will participate in program-specific workshops, and leadership and community-based experiences that promote meaningful learning and inspire change.

"We are excited to support the enrollment and retention of diverse first-generation students, who will share their strengths and perspectives with the Bentley community," said Tammi Wortham, senior vice president of Human Resources at Sun Life U.S. "Bentley's goal to increase the diversity of their student body matches our own goals, and will allow us to be an impactful partner in driving change within the university as well as bringing strong candidates to Sun Life and other organizations."

The Bentley FPF program provides mentorship, development, support, and a full academic scholarship to each student. The program was created to offer a "transformative" educational opportunity to high-performing, first-generation college students, and to help grow the diversity of the growing student body.

"Bentley University is committed to making our campus and the business world more diverse and inclusive," said Jane De León, PhD, associate dean of Arts and Sciences and faculty director of Bentley's FirstGen Presidential Fellows program. "First-generation students are central to this goal because of the unique perspectives, talents and life experiences they bring. This program helps them further tap into those talents while gaining academic, professional, and life skills that prepare them to make a positive impact on the organizations they join after graduation."

Sun Life and Bentley have worked closely together for years. In addition to many new-graduate hires from Bentley, Sun Life has been a member of the university's Center for Women and Business Executive Working Group since 2017, actively working to foster more inclusive workplaces and examine key issues impacting workplace gender diversity and equity.

"Bentley is an excellent school for business and other academic areas, and we know these students only learn and thrive," said Dan Fishbein, M.D., president of Sun Life U.S. "We're confident that they will be well-prepared to enter into the professional world and achieve success."

Sun Life will engage with program students during their time at Bentley, including potential internships and job opportunities after graduation. Sun Life scholarship recipients will receive notification this spring and will begin their first semester in September 2021.

About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2020, Sun Life had total assets under management of C$1,247 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

In the United States, Sun Life is one of the largest group benefits providers, serving more than 60,000 employers in small, medium and large workplaces across the country. Sun Life's broad portfolio of insurance products and services in the U.S. includes disability, absence management, life, dental, vision, voluntary, supplemental health and medical stop-loss. Sun Life and its affiliates in asset management businesses in the U.S. employ approximately 5,500 people. Group insurance policies are issued by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Wellesley Hills, Mass.), except in New York, where policies are issued by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.) (Lansing, Mich.). For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com/us.

About Bentley University
Bentley University is more than just one of the nation's top business schools. It is a lifelong-learning community that creates successful leaders who make business a force for positive change. With a combination of business and the arts and sciences and a flexible, personalized approach to education, Bentley provides students with critical thinking and practical skills that prepare them to lead successful, rewarding careers. Founded in 1917, the university enrolls 4,200 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate and PhD students and is set on 163 acres in Waltham, Massachusetts, 10 miles west of Boston. For more information, visit www.bentley.edu.

Media contacts:

Devon Fernald
Sun Life U.S.
781-800-3609
[email protected]

Helen Henrichs
Bentley University
781-891-2277
[email protected]

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