Spotify Expands NextGen Program, Awards Scholarships to 5 Spelman Students

• The award went to five students pursuing audio careers, including podcasting, storytelling, writing, sound, engineering, and music.
• NextGen's other partner schools are the University of Southern California, the University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.
• Spotify also hosted a Creator Day at Spelman for students and staff and a weeklong incubator program called Spotify Labs Creator Program.

Spotify is preparing five students from Spelman College, a historically Black college and university (HBCU) in Atlanta, for a future in podcasting and audio with $10,000 annual scholarships.

Spelman this month announced five rising sophomore recipients of the music streaming service's NextGen scholarship, which is awarded to students pursuing audio careers, including podcasting, storytelling, writing, sound engineering, and music.

Spotify awarded Rokiyah Darbo, Taylor Mills, Ashley Rawls, Bailey Johnson, and Tellisa Massey $10,000 each annually over the next three years and an opportunity to be brand ambassadors.

"This collaboration between Spelman College and Spotify signifies a shared commitment to advancing education and fostering a more inclusive audio industry," Spelman professor Michelle Hite said in the school's press release. "With Spotify's support, these students are poised to shape the future of audio media, amplifying their voices and enriching the industry with fresh perspectives."

Hite taught a course featuring a NextGen audio-first curriculum in the spring, where 17 students created a seven-episode podcast on the murder of Emmett Till.

Spotify created the NexGen program to "infuse, activate, and grow podcast culture on college campuses."

Spelman is the first HBCU in the program. Spotify also partners with the University of Southern California, the University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.

Spotify recently hosted a Creator Day for students and staff at Spelman to learn about podcast creation and a weeklong incubator program for students to launch podcasts called the Spotify Labs Creator Program.

"As an HBCU grad myself, I know firsthand the remarkable energy and creativity that flows through these institutions. It's palpable," said Kristin Jarrett, equity and impact strategy and outreach lead at Spotify, in a company press release.

"NextGen allows us to get closer to this exceptional pipeline of Gen Z talent and storytellers, powering our goal of having a diverse roster of creators on our platform on our road to 50 million creators and 1 billion users."