Luckyday Scholars Program
develops servant leaders at MSU The Luckyday Scholars Program at Mississippi State University welcomed nine incoming freshmen to campus last fall as the inaugural class of Luckyday Scholars. Through the program, which supports success in and out of the classroom, scholars are actively engaging in valuable opportunities to grow as servant leaders striving to give back to their peers, university, and communities. Frank Rogers Day, a native of Aberdeen and former chairman of the board and CEO of Trustmark National Bank, founded the Luckyday Foundation to assist young Mississippians in pursuing their goals of higher education. In addition to helping students afford college expenses, Luckyday encourages students to graduate in four years while maintaining academic standards and community involvement. Candidates for the award are first-time entering freshmen from Mississippi who have earned a minimum 3.0 grade-point average and an ACT score of 20-28 (or SAT equivalent). Select applicants will be invited to apply to a highly competitive application process, in which the Luckyday selection committee highly values students who are involved as leaders in organizations, demonstrate long-term service with community organizations, display humility, and show follow-through in the endeavors they choose. Luckyday Scholars receive $24,000 over four years in scholarship support. With service being
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FOUNDATIONS | Spring 2021
one component of the Luckyday Scholars Program, recipients perform a minimum of 10 volunteer hours each semester. Scholars are able to direct their efforts to areas most meaningful to them and are also able to get involved through university-sponsored community service projects. In addition to financial assistance, scholars also benefit from other aspects of the program including mentorship resources and opportunities to build relationships with fellow cohort members—all of which are aimed at furthering student success and personal development. The intentional programming, which focuses on Luckyday’s four core values of scholarship, community, service, and leadership, facilitates open dialogue to expand scholars’ skills and perspectives, and to grow as servant leaders. “We are grateful to partner with the Luckyday Foundation to expand opportunities for more of our state’s ambitious students to achieve their goals through much-needed financial and academic support,” said MSU President Mark Keenum. “The Luckyday Foundation’s commitment to developing outstanding leaders within our state is evident by the investments it is making in the lives of these deserving scholars.” For more information, visit www.luckyday.msstate.edu.
