Computer Science Major to Attend 2026 NRF Student Program in New York
Cosby Earns National Retail Foundation Bright Futures Scholarship
Aniah Cosby has become the first Alabama A&M University student to earn the National Retail Foundation’s Bright Futures (NRF) Scholarship. The senior computer science major from St. Louis will attend the 2026 NRF Foundation Student Program in New York City at no cost.
The Bright Futures Scholarship provides undergraduate students interested in retail careers with free travel and hotel accommodations to the NRF Foundation Student Program, set for Jan. 8–11, 2026. Participants meet retail recruiters hiring for internships and entry-level roles, hear from industry leaders and visit major retail locations across New York. The program also introduces students to career paths in technology, logistics and supply chain, and other expanding areas within the retail sector.
Cosby, an active campus leader, serves as president of Girls Who Code, public relations chair of the National Society of Black Engineers and is a member of Eta Kappa Tau Engineering Fraternity, Southern Belles and AAMU Gospel Choir. She applied for the scholarship through the computer science feed on AAMU Banner and was selected in late November.
“I’m most looking forward to networking with other likeminded individuals and experiencing all of the retail companies that will be there offering full-time roles and internships,” Cosby said. “I’m excited to connect with people who are as driven as I am.”
AAMU is among more than 118 university partners working with the NRF Foundation, which reaches more than 6,500 students nationwide. Only one Bright Futures Scholar is selected from each NRF member institution.
Cosby hopes the experience will strengthen her professional readiness as she prepares to enter the workforce. “I hope to learn how to confidently sell myself. I know what I bring to the table and by the end of the conference, I want to be able to clearly express the work ethic, determination, and drive that I have in the most confident but humblest way possible.”
She will graduate in May 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a concentration in cybersecurity. “I plan to become an IT cyber specialist for a company that accepts me fully – personality and all,” she said.
Her long-term goals include returning to serve her community. “My ultimate career goal is to become a cyber analyst and later return to teach at my old high school, Hazelwood East High School, where there’s a lack of computer science resources for young Black students,” she said. “I also plan to pour into my nonprofit organization, I’m H.I.P. (I Have Intellectual Potential), to motivate the next generation of Black girls ready to take the STEM world by storm.”
Cosby said she chose Alabama A&M because of the strength of its academic programs and the opportunities it offered her at a pivotal time in her life. “I fell in love with the engineering program here,” she said. “It was the perfect distance for a 17-year-old ready to step out of her comfort zone and build a new life.”
She adds it was the best choice she could make. “My time on The Hill has been truly transformative,” she said. “Despite challenges, including taking a semester off, the engineering department helped shape who I am today. Faculty members like Dr. Ed Pearson and Ms. Terry Miller believed in me, pushed me forward, and reminded me of my potential. Through setbacks and perseverance, I’ve grown in ways I never imagined and am proud of the person I’ve become.”