Marine recruiter Staff Sgt. Darrell Rich shakes hands

Marine recruiter Staff Sgt. Darrell Rich shakes hands with a Charlotte, N.C.-area high school student during a career exploration event at the Charlotte Convention Center Feb. 26, 2014. Marines from across the country took to the convention center to teach local high school students about opportunities available in the Marine Corps. The United States Marine Corps recognizes that the recruitment of qualified and skilled leaders from diverse backgrounds is essential to its future and is committed to continuing the legacy that these Marines have set forth. The institutions participating in the CIAA Tournament exhibit the excellence in leadership that embodies the Marine Corps' core values of honor, courage, and commitment. The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) basketball tournament is touted as being the third most attended basketball tournament among all NCAA divisions. The CIAA was founded in 1912 as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association and is the oldest African-American athletic conference in the Nation. The CIAA consists of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) spanning the East Coast from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. (Official USMC photo by Staff Sgt. Greg Thomas)