The pair also approached companies like Coke and Pepsi and are in the process of contacting companies in other industries to meet their goal of having $20,000 in corporate sponsorships, Gayle says.

BCG currently sponsors seven to 10 similar groups around the country, Gilyard says, adding that BCG might have sponsored the BSA earlier had they been approached sooner.

"This is the first sponsorship proposal that we've seen from Harvard," Gilyard says. "It's important for us to establish relationships at most of the primary campuses where we recruit."

Lisa A. Iapecco, BCG's North American diversity coordinator, emphasizes that similar opportunities for sponsorships exist for all student groups, regardless of the group's ethnicity.

"It was the opportunity and the timing that worked out for the BSA, plus our past relationship," Iapecco says. "We enjoy working with the students of Harvard no matter what their ethnic background."

The sponsorship, which started this semester, will be up for evaluation at the end of each year. The scholarship will be offered starting next year.

Leaving a Legacy

Williams, who will step down as BSA president in April, says the sponsorship is the current board's "greatest tangible legacy."