Fred B Davis Scholarship Brunch
TROY scholarship donors recognized during annual Fred B. Davis Scholarship Brunch
Scholarship donors to Troy University were recognized and thanked at the annual Fred B. Davis Scholarship Brunch on Saturday, April 1.
There are currently more than 350 active named scholarship funds for the Troy Foundation with some scholarships being awarded to multiple students each year. In 2022, TROY was able to award over $1 Million in foundation scholarships for the first time annually, like the Lance Robert McLendon Scholarship for students in the Sorrell College of Business or the Judy and Robert Cary Nursing Endowed Scholarship. Nearly 1,200 individual scholarship were awarded in 2022.
Dr. Judson Edwards, Dean of the Sorrell College and a TROY graduate, expressed his thanks to the McLendon family and to all the donors for what they do for TROY’s students.
“Everything that you’re doing here makes a difference in the lives of students,” he said. “Speaking for all the deans and academic divisions, we truly appreciate everything that you do for us. Thirty-two years ago, I was fortunate enough to get a George Wallace Leadership Scholarship. TROY has made a difference in my life, so thank you all.”
Another large supporter of the Troy Foundation is the Alumni Association, made up of 65 chapters. Nine chapters have established endowed scholarships with six additional chapters in progress of establishing scholarships.
This year, the alumni chapters banded together and raised $50,000 in support of the Troy Foundation in support of scholarships and academic initiatives.
“Witnessing countless alumni and friends coming together to strengthen the TROY legacy is truly inspiring,” said Faith Byrd, Director of Alumni Affairs. “Your gifts are enabling students to pursue their passions and to create opportunities they may not otherwise have. Thank you.”
Students who received specific foundation scholarships through the university write thank-you cards to the donors when they receive the scholarship initially, but the brunch allows donors to put a face with a name and see the impact their scholarships makes on the students firsthand.
Davis Humphrey, a senior sport management major from Helena, Ala, and two-time recipient of the Lance Robert McLendon Scholarship, said receiving this scholarship has allowed him to be on track to graduate early.
“Being a two-time recipient, I’m very blessed,” he said. “It’s helped me and my family a great deal because college is expensive, so this scholarship and the generosity from the McLendon family has helped us tremendously. It’s paved the way for me to take more classes and to even graduate in three and a half years.”
After graduation, Humphrey plans to return to TROY and pursue a master’s degree in physical education with the goal of one day becoming a high school athletic director.
Victoria Cote, an Enterprise native and a junior in the interpreter training program, is a recipient of the Ethel Hitchcock Griffin and Michael Redmon Endowed Scholarship that allows her to buy books for her classes.
“The program I’m in, we usually need two to three books for each class and that adds up really quickly,” she said. “It’s been very helpful for me to be able to afford these books. This semester I’m taking 21 hours, and it’s been a weight off my shoulders to not have to worry about working to help afford what I need to attend these classes.”
In addition to the endowed scholarship, Cote received TROY’s Scholar’s Plus Scholarship along with several local scholarships from her hometown.
Her father, Craig, said the help has been a huge weight of their shoulders, as well.
“Any and all scholarships are helpful,” he said. “I work in a field where I have a lot of young people working for me, and that’s one of the things I encourage them, and especially their parents, is to apply for every scholarship they can. I can’t count the number of scholarships she applied for and was awarded.
“There’s hundreds out there for any type of field, you just have to get out there and look and be diligent. We’re certainly grateful for all the help she’s received.”
For information on ways to assist students through scholarships or other academic support, contact the Office of Development.
To apply for a scholarship, visit troy.academicworks.com.