<p>"Businesses have a responsibility as neighbors in our community to help foster a more equitable and vibrant future," said Sanjiv Yajnik, President of Financial Services of Capital One. With this level of support, the plan is to build thriving, inclusive communities that generate and foster prosperity."</p><p>The education gap exists: <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2020/11/11/most-young-adults-in-dallas-county-dont-earn-a-living-wage-this-new-initiative-wants-to-help/" target="_blank">85% of jobs that pay a living wage</a> require a postsecondary degree while only nearly <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2020/11/11/most-young-adults-in-dallas-county-dont-earn-a-living-wage-this-new-initiative-wants-to-help/" target="_blank">40% of young adults in Dallas</a> hold an associate's degree or higher. The Dallas County Promise strives to help build a key foundation for professional success by ensuring that students have the resources needed to attend college.<br></p><p>In an effort to bridge that gap, The Commit Partnership has also launched <a href="https://commitpartnership.org/blog/introducing-dallas-thrives#:~:text=Dallas%20Thrives%20aims%20to%20double,gaps%20in%20living%20wage%20attainment." target="_blank">Dallas Thrives</a>, an initiative that aims to double the number of young adults earning a living wage by 2040. This program will lean into strategic partnerships with local businesses, nonprofits, elected officials and educators to launch Dallas Thrives and strive to create lasting change.</p><p>Those initiatives aim to prepare North Texas students like Oyinwola for success in the classroom and workforce.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc0NzMyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDc2MDg1NH0.zagl686YGhjVtLr013XulLLFHnalT_mEI4Xsk0y-slE/img.jpg?width=980" id="5ebd7" width="1200" height="630" data-rm-shortcode-id="c353395a71b23c724c79c68b4fe62bed" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@sickhews?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wes Hicks</a> on Unsplash</small></p><p>As a Promise Scholar, Oyinwola first attended Richland College and has since transferred to the University of North Texas at Dallas where he studies biology and chemistry. Receiving tuition assistance has enabled Owinyola to spend less time worrying about how to pay for his studies and instead focus on his goal of attending medical school.<br></p><p>He hopes to serve as a model for his younger sister and create a cycle for his family members to pursue a higher education directly following high school. Now that his sister is approaching her own high school graduation, Oyinwola has encouraged her to apply for the Dallas County Promise so she too can have the same opportunities to study in her field of interest. </p><p>"When I was in my first year of college, I had to figure out most of those things by myself," Oyinwola says. "My hope is that she doesn't really have to do that because she has me."</p><p><a href="https://www.capitalone.com/about/our-commitments/" target="_blank"><em><strong>Learn more</strong></em></a><em><u><strong> about how Capital One is closing gaps in equity and opportunity.</strong></u></em></p>
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