Grambling State University has been selected the school of the month for September by the Tom Joyner Foundation, and sophomore Pierre L. Moore was named the first of four Hercules Scholars Thursday.
"It's always nice to be tied to the Tom Joyner Foundation because it brings such national exposure to Grambling State University,” said Pogue.
Founded in 1998, The Tom Joyner Foundation focuses on keeping students enrolled in historically black colleges and universities. The foundation has raised more than $60 million to help HBCU students stay in school, assisting more than 25,000 students while working with more than 100 HBCUs.
Pogue said this month-long effort can only help Grambling State students, 68 percent of whom receive some form of financial assistance to get into and stay in school.
“We are ecstatic and excited about the opportunity to have a national audience hear about the great things happening at Grambling State University, the place "Where Everybody is Somebody,” added Debra A. Johnson, interim associate vice president for development and director of alumni affairs at the university. “We challenge all alumni to contribute to this important scholarship and ask associates, colleagues, friends and family members to support Grambling, too.”
To be a candidate for the Hercules scholarship, students must be male, have a grade point average of at least 3.5 and be a campus leader involved in the community with a career goal of making a difference. The scholars each receive a scholarship grant of $1,500 that is paid directly to their school to help offset their college expenses.
Moore, 19, a native of Kansas City, Mo., is an engineering technology major with a 3.66 GPA. Aspiring to be an architectural or civil engineer, he plans to develop state-of-the-art homes and sports arenas after college.
Pierre finds time to be a peer tutor for at the university’s Center for Mathematical Achievement in Science and Technology and he is an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers. Moore said he is committed to working hard and meeting challenges that present themselves, mainly because he has learned the benefits of not shying from hard work from both his parents, his role models.
“When I found out I got the scholarship it made realize how awesome God is,” said Moore, who graduated from Kansas City’s Ruskin High School in 2012. “All it takes is trust and patience. Because I had given up on the scholarship a long time ago, it’s amazing to me how He took this short kid from Kansas City, Mo., and turned him into a Hercules Scholar.”
The Hercules Scholarship is named after Joyner’s father, the late Hercules Joyner, who was a strong supporter of higher education. Being selected as the Tom Joyner Foundation school of the month could not have come at a better time.
“We're thrilled to have a chance to get our name out there, and to encourage friends and supporters to help us provide a good education for our students,” Pogue noted.
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About Grambling State University
Grambling State University, located in Grambling, Louisiana, is a historically black university founded in 1901. The University has been accredited by 13 accrediting associations and holds accreditations in all programs required by the Louisiana Board of Regents. The 590-acre campus offers 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Grambling State University is a member of the University of Louisiana System.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Friday, September 6th 2013 at 5:44PM
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