The Famuan

Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Special to The Famuan These Florida A&M University students were selected to receive scholarships from the Tom Joyner Foundation.

Florida A&M University has raised more than $800,000 toward its goal of $1.5 million for the Tom Joyner Scholarship Foundation.

The Tom Joyner Foundation was established to help students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities continue their education. Each month an HBCU is chosen to receive a TJF scholarship.

Although FAMU was the January School of the Month for TJF, the University has until Dec. 31 to reach its $1.5 million goal.

"I'm excited about the level of support we have received from our alumni, friends and corporations," said FAMU President James H. Ammons.

While FAMU is working hard raising money through eBay online auctions, telethons, direct mail campaigns, high profile concerts and online giving, it will also take part in the TJF HBCU Tour Give-A-Way. The tour's purpose is to grant educational opportunities to future students.

Throughout January, scholarships were awarded to deserving students every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on the Tom Joyner Morning show.

The Tom Joyner Foundation Scholars were awarded $1,500.

Alisa Routh, 18, a freshman psychology student from East Point, Ga., was one of the scholarship recipients.

"I am very grateful and continuously thanking God for being selected as a recipient for the Tom Joyner Scholarship," Routh said. "It will allow me to enhance my collegiate experience and help with my tuition and other financial burdens of college."

The First Generation and Hercules scholarships were granted in the amount of $2,500.

The Hercules scholarship is awarded to men with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 who are dedicated and strongly involved in community service projects and on-campus activities.

KD Morley, a junior music education and criminal justice student from Fort Lauderdale known as "DJ KD," was one of the Hercules scholars.

"It's an honor not just for me but FAMU as a whole to be selected by the Tom Joyner Morning Show because it is a national syndicated show," Morley said. "But as for me it's very humbling, being a non-traditional student I pay for school myself."

Morley said receiving the scholarship has propelled him to excel.

"To have this type of assistance helps keep me motivated and want to continue my education process because they saw something in me worth investing in," he said.

In total 14 students received scholarships from the Tom Joyner Foundation.

"I think what Tom Joyner is doing as far as giving scholarships to students who probably don't have the means is a good thing because specific groups of students may feel or think that if funds are not available it disables them to continue their education," said Shirley Querette, a 23-year-old fourth-year business administrative student from Miami.

"I am a single parent and understand the hardships people go through that are in my same exact shoes."

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