FAMU student Afton Nealy is the first recipient of the Scholar of Honor scholarship sponsored by the Tom Joyner Foundation. Nealy was presented the scholarship check during the homecoming game by Oscar Joyner, president and chief operating officer of REACH Media, Inc.
Nealy is a fourth-year business administration student from Panama City and served in Iraq from 2003-2004 as a petroleum supply specialist. She said she was thrilled when receiving the $1, 500 scholarship.
“I was really excited when I found out that I received the scholarship,” Nealy said. “This scholarship will definitely help with school.”
Tom Joyner, founder and chairman of the Tom Joyner Foundation, said he is honored to present the scholarship to veterans who are enrolled at an HBCU.
“This scholarship recognizes those men and women who have served our country who are trying to complete their education at a black college,” Tom Joyner said, who is also the host of the top-ranked nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. “This is our way of saying thanks for what they’ve done and to help them pursue their dreams.”
The Tom Joyner Foundation was founded in 1998 and its mission is to support black colleges in the United States.
The scholarship is available for veterans who have served in the Iraq or Afghan wars since Sept. 11, 2001 and currently attend a Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The award is also available to qualified recent veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and the National Guard and Reserves who have served since 9/11 in the Overseas Contingency Operation.