ATLANTA, GA – May 27, 2026 – The Atlanta Falcons and Wells Fargo today announced the 2026 cohort of the Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows Program presented by Wells Fargo. This first-of-its-kind fellowship is an eight-week paid program in the fall that creates career pathways and provides real-world experience to college students from Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College. Now in its fourth year, the program launched on May 1st with an immersive orientation that provided the 17 selected Fellows – the most in the program's history – with access to Atlanta's music and entertainment industry while anchoring the experience in community service on May 4th.
On Friday, May 1st, the Falcons Fellows joined Grammy-Award-winning producer/songwriter, music executive and entrepreneur Jermaine Dupri and Grammy-Award-winning music and entertainment executive Amir Windom – along with representatives from Wells Fargo, the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Habitat for Humanity – for a Creative Currency Experience. The Fellows went "behind the music" with a tour at a recording studio and participated in a fireside chat with the theme of "Earn, Learn and Return," focused on creativity, financial education, civic engagement, and life lessons. On May 4th, the Fellows joined Falcons staff and Wells Fargo volunteers for a home build as a part of the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project's 40th annual week of builds – taking place in Atlanta for the first time since 1988, in the Sylvan Hills Langston Park neighborhood.
Jermaine Dupri said, "Atlanta has always been about creativity, culture and community coming together. Wells Fargo and the Falcons giving these students the opportunity to see how their passions can connect to real careers – and to give back to the city at the same time – is powerful. I'm proud to be a part of a program that invests in the next generation."
Tai Roberson, Southeast Executive, Philanthropy and Community Impact at Wells Fargo, added, "The Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows Program is about opening doors – to professional opportunity, mentorship and meaningful experiences that help students chart successful futures. By launching this cohort with Jermaine and Amir, we expanded into the highly sought-after music and entertainment fields, and by engaging directly in the Carter Work Project, we showed what it looks like when financial empowerment, culture and community come together with purpose."
Throughout the program, Fellows will work within departments across the Atlanta Falcons and AMB Sports and Entertainment offices, gaining practical experience while building professional networks and transferable skills.
"Since the program's inception, we have seen extraordinary talent emerge from Atlanta's HBCUs. Our fellows and program alumni exemplify the next generation of leaders shaping the future of the sports and entertainment industry. This year's class joins a legacy of 41 alumni who continue to write their own stories, seize every opportunity to learn, and most importantly give back and strengthen the communities that shaped them." said Bella Vaughan, HR Manager, Early Talent Programs and Inclusion, Atlanta Falcons.
To learn more about the program, visit the HBCU Fellows Program presented by Wells Fargo page on AtlantaFalcons.com.
The 2026 Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows are listed below with their universities and hometowns included:
- Clark Atlanta University: Jivon Cole (Prince George's County, MD), Renee Joplin (Memphis, TN), Ariana Ryals (Baltimore, MD), Colette Sinkfield (Atlanta, GA)
- Morehouse College: Jared Myers (Chesapeake, VA), Sterling Reese (Columbia, SC), Kane Watson (Louisville, KY)
- Morris Brown College: Jylan Thomas (Atlanta, GA)
- Spelman College: Madison Allen (Brookline, MA), Noldine Belizaire (Broward County, FL), Olivia Graham (Columbus, OH), Nia Long (East Lansing, MI), Mariama Njie (Marietta, GA), Sarah Sloan (Houston, TX), Arianna Smith-Forte (Clarksville, TN), Layla M. Stubbs (Chicago, IL), Sydney Sherman (Baltimore, MD)
