UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new endowment offered through the LGBTQA Student Resource Center, a unit of Penn State Student Affairs, will support LGBTQ students and allies who are part of the U.S. military or enrolled or plan to enroll in a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.
Adam R. Henderson and Bruce C. Marshall endowed the Henderson and Marshall Military Leadership Scholarship to continue to promote the integration of the LGBT community as a segment of American society and to honor the sacrifice of those they love who have served our country with honor and distinction, including many close friends and family members.
"We are grateful to Adam and Bruce for choosing to support the engaged citizenship, service and academic pursuits of Penn State’s LGBTQA students,” said Brian Patchcoski, director of the LGBTQA Student Resource Center.
The scholarship will be open to full-time undergraduate students who have an interest in and concern for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally (LGBTQA) community at Penn State and have demonstrated efforts toward improving the climate and well-being of LGBTQA individuals through advocacy, awareness and leadership. Students also must be part of the U.S. military or enrolled or planning to enroll in an ROTC program at the University.
“We hope this endowed scholarship promotes understanding and recognizes leadership at the intersection of the LGBT and military communities,” said Henderson, who received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State in 1999. “It is our fervent wish that the endowment sees the day when society no longer questions the decision of LGBT individuals to serve, but rather judges their commitment solely on ability, aptitude and honor.”
Through the University’s new fundraising campaign, "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," Penn State is partnering with donors by offering a University match. The First-Time Endowed Scholarship Donor Matching Program provides a 1:1 match for donors who create their first endowed scholarship at Penn State during the "A Greater Penn State" campaign. To qualify, scholarships must support undergraduate students who demonstrate need. The purpose of this program is to attract new scholarship endowment donors to create need-based scholarships at the University.
Members of the University and community can support LGBTQ students by contributing to this endowment. To contribute, visit www.GiveTo.psu.edu/HendersonMarshallScholarship or contact Andrea Pagano-Reyes, director of development for university programs, at amp244@psu.edu.
Gifts from Penn State’s alumni and friends have been essential to the success of the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve the public good. To fulfill that mission for a new era of rapid change and global connections, the University has begun "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a fast-paced campaign focused on the three key imperatives of a public university. Private support will keep the door to higher education open and enable students to graduate on time and on track to success; create transformative experiences on Penn State campuses and around the globe that tap the full potential of Penn Staters to make a difference; and impact the world through discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship. To learn more, visit www.giveto.psu.edu.