UK Freshman Awarded Gen. G Foundation Scholarship
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 10, 2021) — Global esports organization, Gen.G, selected University of Kentucky freshman Hyeonyeong Kim, of Seoul, South Korea, as one of this year’s recipients of the Gen.G Foundation scholarship. Kim will receive $10,000 to subsidize his tuition for this academic year, and will have access to exclusive career and mentorship programming as a member of the new scholarship class.
Eleven college students from around the country were chosen to receive the scholarship which focuses on supporting women, people of color and low-income students enrolled in a U.S. university or college who are interested in gaming, esports, entrepreneurship, journalism or content creation.
Now in the second iteration of its scholarship program, the Gen.G Foundation welcomes a variety of partners in discovering the next generation of gaming leaders. This year’s partners include Executive Brand Advisor for Gen.G Heron Preston, trailblazing brand and collective “Kids of Immigrants,” global sports company PUMA, UK and Eastern Michigan University.
In selecting scholarship recipients, Preston’s focus for the foundation was on finding creative innovators in the digital space, “Kids of Immigrants” looked to award a first-generation immigrant student applicant with their “Anything Is Possible” grant, PUMA focused on the development of student esports athletes, and UK and EMU each awarded members of their undergraduate community.
“We are so excited to introduce our second class of Gen.G Foundation scholarship recipients. As we continue to grow this program, we are amazed by the level of talent, passion and drive these students have for the gaming industry,” said Gina Chung Lee, chief marketing officer at Gen.G. “These students are truly the next generation of leaders, and we are thrilled to be able to help make their education and career goals a reality.”
In 2020, Gen.G announced a $1 million commitment to developing the next generation of leaders in the gaming industry, pledging to commit $100,000 annually for 10 years through the establishment of the Gen.G Foundation, alongside its founding partners — Silicon Valley Bank, UK, EMU and Bumble.
About Gen.G
Established in 2017, Gen.G is the only major organization that owns and operates top teams in China, South Korea and the United States. Ranked No. 6 in the inaugural Forbes list of the “World's Most Valuable Esports Companies,” Gen.G's core mission is to help fans and athletes use the power of gaming and esports to get ahead in and beyond the competition. The company has quickly become a commercial and thought leader, building a global, inclusive and cross-cultural future for sports entertainment.
United under #TigerNation, Gen.G boasts seven global championships to date among their competitive teams which includes the Seoul Dynasty franchise of the Overwatch League, the LCK world champion team in South Korea, the world's top all-female Fortnite team, PUBG, CS:GO, Valorant and the NBA 2K League's historic expansion franchise in Shanghai. Its widely acclaimed initiatives include #TeamBumble, the leading team platform for the empowerment of women in gaming, and the Gen.G Global Academy, the world's first fully-integrated academic esports program in Seoul. More information about Gen.G esports and its teams can be found at this link.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.