WINDGATE GRANT TO SUPPORT NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS

BY MYLES MELANCON

The opportunity for students to receive a life-changing education at Millsaps College will be possible for years to come, thanks to a more than $2.1 million gift for scholarships and art equipment from the Windgate Foundation, located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The majority of the award will be used to establish the Windgate Foundation Endowed Scholarship Fund, with $2 million going to create an endowment for need-based scholarships, making it one of the largest endowed scholarships in the history of the college. The remaining funds will support immediate scholarships and the purchase of new art equipment in the Windgate Visual Arts Center at Millsaps.

This gift follows the Windgate Foundation’s 2015 challenge grant that paved the way for the construction of the Windgate Visual Arts Center, the creative heart of the Millsaps campus. Completed in 2019, the space is a catalyst for the arts at Millsaps and in the surrounding community. The new equipment afforded by this grant, including a rare Vandercook press to be used for printmaking and graphic design, will only help build upon this momentum.

“Within the span of a few years, the Windgate Foundation has given nearly $5 million and, as a result, unequivocally altered the future of Millsaps,” said Dr. Robert Pearigen, president of Millsaps. “Their support has transformed the arts at the college, and their most recent grant promises to be equally as impactful to the college and the students who will benefit from it.”

For many students in Mississippi, scholarships are essential and clear the path for career dreams to become career realities. Pearigen is confident the Windgate Foundation’s support puts the college in a better position to offer students the exceptional experiences that distinguish a Millsaps education.

“This new grant will help erase potential financial barriers and position Millsaps to be a positive force for our students and community for years to come,” he said.

Fall events started to feel a bit more normal this year with Homecoming and Parent and Family events in October.

The ongoing challenges of COVID-19 changed the regular look of Homecoming this year, as the college remained cautious about large indoor events. Alumni, families and friends were able to gather for a beautiful football game on Oct. 9, and the other key events of the weekend were shifted to the weekend of April 8–10, 2022. Go ahead and mark your calendar now for that weekend, and be on the lookout for more information and another opportunity to come home to Millsaps!

Two weeks after Homecoming, Parent and Family Weekend kicked off as students and their families were reunited for their own special gathering. Picture-perfect weather was on hand all weekend as Majors enjoyed an evening of music on Friday and as first-year students showed their parents around campus while families gathered for a special tailgate by the Windgate Visual Arts Center.