University of Delaware Office of Public Relations The Messenger Vol. 5, No. 1/1995 Recognition: A Special Report MBNA America: An Ongoing Commitment to Quality Education One afternoon this past summer, 17-year-old Michael Johnson of Irvington, N.J., donned his best suit and tie and hopped on a bus headed for MBNA America. The excursion was part of a five- week summer "bridge" program designed to help incoming minority and transfer students make the leap from high school to university life. "I'll be attending the University this fall, and I'm using this period to get ready for that transition," Johnson explained then, as he straightened his tie. "I'm going to MBNA to get a sense of what the corporate world is all about." Summer bridge activities are one component of the FORTUNE 2000 program, which provides support services to minority students. In addition to its support for the FORTUNE 2000 program and its recent $2.5 million gift in support of a new B&E building, MBNA America also supports a business professorship, hosts an on- site University MBA program for its employees and provides an MBNA America Scholarship to a Delaware resident every year. "The most recent gift from MBNA America is just another example of its outstanding corporate citizenship," says Donald Puglisi, MBNA America Business Professor of Finance. "It's consistent with their commitment not only to the University, but also to quality education in general." An estimated 1,900 University alumni and students currently work for MBNA America, reports B&E Dean Kenneth R. Biederman. The corporation employs more than 12,000 people, including 7,000 in Delaware.