Foundation receives anonymous $25,000 donation

An alumna from the Class of 1989 and her husband have made a $25,000 donation to the LSMSA Foundation in support of two different programs at LSMSA.

A Student Success Center will be created with $20,000, and the remaining $5,000 will be used to support the Future Scientist Program.

“The creation of a professionally staffed and centrally housed Student Success Center represents a tremendous opportunity for our Living-Learning Community,” said Dr. Kristi Pope Key, director of academic services at LSMSA.

Drawing from a collegiate model and utilizing the most current best practices in this field, LSMSA will be able to offer its students a more holistic academic support experience in their time on campus with the addition of a Student Success Center.

“We envision a space that allows for personalized academic counseling, for group sessions, for students to drop in for consultation or to simply work independently in a quiet and comfortable space,” said Key.

Anticipated to be located in the Center for Performance and Technology, this space offers the potential to create something very exciting for LSMSA students and faculty.

“We hope to work closely with colleagues at Northwestern State University, offering employment and internship opportunities to graduate students and recent graduates in the areas of education, English, counseling and psychology in order to extend the range of our services,” she said. “The $20,000 gift will seed the infrastructure needed to get the SSC on its feet with initial furniture, technology and supplies investments.”

The Future Scientist Program, directed by senior lecturer of chemistry and student research advisor Dr. Chris Hynes, is designed for students who desire to become tomorrow’s scientists and engineers.

For more than 10 years, this program has provided a balance between academic and extracurricular science activities in a structured and carefully monitored environment. Science faculty mentor students and provide advice on appropriate curriculum paths, career opportunities and recommend specific activities that will help them grow in the selected area of interest.

Entry is not automatic and is based on an application review of the student by science faculty. Students succeeding in the FSP receive an excellence award at the Senior Recognition Ceremony and at a banquet hosted in their honor prior to graduation.

The $5,000 donation will offset the cost of the banquet’s catering, FSP speaker fees, certificates and medals for students, and field trips for FSP members.

“As part of our legacy planning, we are investing in LSMSA because it changes students’ lives by expanding their views of what is possible upon graduation,” said the donor and her husband, who requested anonymity. “This gift is an opportunity for us to enhance the experience for students and to support the school in a meaningful way.”