Elite Results: Students

Sparking New Legacies of Achievement

Endowed scholarships create opportunities for generations of ambitious students, fueling their academic aspirations and equipping them with resources and support to realize their full potential.

By providing reliable funding year-after-year, these scholarships are vital assets for LSU leaders to recruit, retain, and encourage students in all fields of study while strategically investing in areas with particular need and opportunity. For students, they can be beacons of hope, removing barriers to degree attainment and enriching the educational experience by providing the flexibility to engage in student organizations, research, internships, professional development, and academic-related travel at a deeper level than might otherwise be possible.

Graduate student Scott Ochoa, a Turner-Fischer Opera Scholar, shared, “This scholarship not only helps me continue to work for my dreams but also eases the load on me and my family. It means so much to me and them, and when I told my mom about LSU and all it had to offer, she was beside herself and couldn’t even wait for me to officially accept before sharing with the rest of the family. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to come to campus and give back to LSU.”

Kathryn Dunphy, a recipient of the Gerard Family Undergraduate Scholarship Fund in Chemical Engineering, echoed Ochoa’s sentiments, saying, “Spending 60 plus hours a week studying in Patrick F. Taylor Hall, I am not sure how one could take on a job, as well. Having this scholarship has greatly improved my overall experience at LSU because I can truly focus on school only. I am extremely grateful for those who choose to give donations back into the college and to students.”

Endowed scholarships empower students to explore their passions and instill confidence in what they can achieve.

“My dream is to keep singing as long as I can,” Ochoa said. “I want to make it at the Metropolitan Opera, and I would love to travel the world performing! I cannot wait to see what’s in store for me at LSU and beyond. It means so much and goes a very long way.”

More than just financial awards, endowed scholarships are perpetual investments in human potential. They foster access to education, embolden students to dream big, enhance the academic environment, strengthen LSU, and create a legacy of giving.

“To know there are alumni who continue to support those going through it is so rewarding,” Dunphy reflected, adding, “I hope to one day be able to give back as our donors do.”