Northwestern State University continues to support the uptick in engagement with young alumni, most recently with the creation of two scholarships by Damian Glover, who established the Glover Family Scholarship for a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Mary Minix Perseverance Scholarship for a first generation graduate student.
A native of Lafayette, Glover earned an undergraduate degree in English and Professional Writing in 2015 while was president of the Student Activities Board, vice president of Theta Chi Fraternity and president of Students with a Target (SWAT), was involved with The Current Sauce newspaper, KNWD Radio and the Miss Northwestern Lady of the Bracelet Pageant and was a peer mentor.
He earned his master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education at NSU in 2017 and is now pursuing a doctoral degree through the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He is also on staff at South Louisiana Community College as a student life and special projects specialist where he oversees a student services center that handles admissions, registration, academic advising, disability support, testing, career services and student engagement.
The Mary Minix Scholarship is particularly meaningful to him as a way to honor his grandmother who left school after third grade to clean houses and take care of her siblings.
“It is named in her honor because of the value on education she had and her belief in my dreams and her support,” he said. “She taught me how to be prepared for life and the value of the hard work. She and my grandfather lived a good life that had everything they wanted and provided every opportunity for their children and made sure that education was number one. This scholarship will provide someone with an opportunity to continue furthering their education and starting a new tradition in their families.”
Glover said his experiences at NSU prepared him for the real world as a professional.
“I was truly able to use all of the tools and skills that NSU has given me. I am grateful for the many opportunities that NSU has provided for me and keeps on providing me. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today, all of which began with an offer to be a student worker for [Director of Student Activities] Yonna Pasch. My time spent in the Office of Student Activities as a student worker and a graduate assistant, as well as my time spent as an intern in the Office of First Year Experience and the President’s Office, have provided me with many experiences that I will continue to carry with me into the future.