James Hooker Endowment for Future Scholars Program

The Jim Hooker Endowment for Future Scholars Program (previously the Televerde Endowment of New Scholars, or TENS) is a scholarship program created in 2007 by Jim Hooker and Televerde. The purpose is to encourage and assist women who worked for Televerde while incarcerated to advance their careers through higher education. Jim believed education was the greatest equalizer and that “the human spirit under the right conditions and given the right opportunity could rise up and achieve extraordinary things.”

Thanks to Jim’s unwavering commitment to the growth of Televerde and continued investments in society’s most vulnerable, more than 3,000 women have transformed their lives and reentered society as successful leaders, caregivers, innovators and business professionals. Through the continued work and expansion of Televerde, Jim’s legacy will continue to provide life-changing opportunities for disempowered women for years to come. As Jim said, “It’s not the business results I’m most proud of, it’s the results I’ve seen in changing people’s live that matter the most.”

The scholarship will be  funded by the generous contributions of Televerde employees, clients and members of the community who believe advanced education improve career opportunities.  All Televerde alumni are encouraged to use the scholarship to further their education after incarceration.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Jim’s honor.