KENT, Ohio — Actor, author, producer and former Kent State University student Steve Harvey is paying it forward to some of KSU’s newest additions.
Harvey is awarding eight incoming Kent State University freshman with full-ride scholarships and highlighting the students on his talk show “Steve," according to a news release from KSU.
The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation collaborated with Kent State University to provide the scholarships, valued at around $23,000 per student.
Lamont Averett and Mark Jenkins are two scholarship recipients from Barberton and members of Kent State’s TRIO Upward Bound Classic Academy pre-college program, the release states. Zethran Jackson and Johnell Parnell, two other recipients from Akron, are also a part of the program.
Cleveland recipients Kelvon Gibson and Anthony Morris Jr. both have impressive academic resumes. Gibson is an honor roll student with a 3.2 GPA and Morris was named valedictorian of his class.
Jaiden Morales of Lorain has been a part of Kent State’s TRIO Upward Bound Health Professions pre-college program, earning his associate's degree at the same time as he earned his high school diploma.
Only one recipient was not a Northeast Ohio native. Craig Johnson from Springdale, Maryland, plans to attend Kent State in the fall as a finance major.
The eight students have received the scholarship, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have to work for it. For the scholarship to renew each semester, the students must maintain a 2.5 GPA, making sure they stay vigilant in their studies.
In addition to the scholarships, Harvey’s foundation also donated $10,000 to Kent State’s Men Empowerment Network with the Student Medical Center at the school.
