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Capella University has announced the cohort of the 2021 Capella Fellows Program that offers full scholarships to the university master's degree program.

The winners were chosen from promising Minneapolis-St. Paul community members. The finalists will be awarded full-tuition scholarships for any Capella master’s degree program that they choose to receive.

"At Capella, we are committed to supporting the promising leaders in our communities,” said Dick Senese, president of Capella University, in a press release. “The Capella University Fellows Program helps us create the most direct link among learning, professional development and employment, by personally coaching our fellows and providing them with networking opportunities to enhance their impact in the community.”

Minneapolis leaders said educating community leaders is step one.

“We’re focused on fostering the future of Minneapolis. Educating our community leaders is the perfect place to start,” said Jacob Frey, Mayor of Minneapolis, in a press release. “We’re thrilled to continue our ongoing partnership with Capella University and are thankful for their continued investment in our community leaders.”

Minneapolis Regional Chamber officials concur with the mayor's assessment.

“To attract and retain top-tier talent to the Twin Cities region, we must grow our skills training and education offerings to compete with nationwide initiatives,” said Jonathan Weinhagen, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, in a press release. “The Capella Fellows Program provides an opportunity for top-performing employees in our communities to gain an advanced degree of their choosing at no cost. We hope this will encourage our young leaders to commit to enhancing the Minneapolis-St. Paul region.”