Three North Carolina Central University graduate students have been awarded scholarships by the American Library Association’s Spectrum Scholarship program. The program provides 50 scholarships each year to minority students pursuing graduate degrees in library and information studies.

The three NCCU recipients are Orolando Duffus, Ivelisse Maldonado and Tamara Rhodes. Each will receive a $5,000 scholarship and additional travel expenses so they can attend leadership training sessions offered by the American Library Association.

“We’re proud of our three recipients,” said Dr. Irene Owens, dean of the NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences. “The competition is quite stiff — the applicants complete a rigorous application and an essay that counts for 50 percent of the selection process. Each time one of our students receives this scholarship, our visibility and level of effectiveness rises.”