The story of Steve Harvey and his surprise student scholarships

02 Jul 2019

You may recognise the American comedian and television host, Steve Harvey from his popular talk show or the all-time classic Family Feud.

With a larger-than-life personality and a captivating on-screen presence, it’s not unusual for his name to appear in the latest news headlines.

But Harvey has recently caught the attention of students and educators alike.

Through his charitable organisation, The Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation, the personable talk show host collaborated with Kent State University and the Omega Psi Phi fraternity to provide full four-year scholarships to eight incoming students attending Kent State this year.

What’s the catch?

Well, the scholarships will cover four years’ worth of tuition if the students maintain a 2.5 grade point average.

I thank God for all his blessings! Follow the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation (@TheSMHF) for more information visit https://t.co/pK8t5PjnaQ https://t.co/y51CSNnCkL

— Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) June 26, 2019

The scholarships are offered in honour of Devin Moore, a senior Kent State student from Cleveland who studied journalism, and who tragically died suddenly playing basketball at the school’s recreation centre.

Overjoyed by their scholarship opportunities, the eight recipients are:

– Lamon Averett from Barberton
– Zethran Jackson from Akron
– Mark Jenkins from Barberton
– Jaiden Morales from Lorain
– Johnell Parnell from Akron
– Kelvon Gibson from Cleveland
– Anthony Morris Jr. from Cleveland
– Craig Johnson from Springdale, Maryland

A group of incoming freshmen, their families and members of the Kent State community celebrated a generous gift by former student Steve Harvey during a watch party of his talk show “Steve” on Wednesday morning. https://t.co/QuvnmiiuS1 pic.twitter.com/JdnbAGk06W

— Kent State (@KentState) June 26, 2019

Chatting to Harvey about how he felt once realising he had been chosen for the scholarship, Craig Johnson explains, “It was amazing, honestly. I’ve been working all my life to get to this point and I feel so blessed to have this opportunity!”

“I also believe it’s a blessing, truly. It came out of the sky, you know? After four years of working hard athletically and academically, just waiting for a chance to come. So, for this to just come out of nowhere it’s amazing,” Anthony Morris Jr. adds.

Showing that generosity and good will can change students’ lives, the foundation has made an influential mark on the education sector, hoping other celebrity icons will follow suit.

In addition to the scholarships, Harvey’s foundation also donated US$10,000 to Kent State’s Men Empowerment Network (MEN) with the Student Medical Centre at the school.

Hoping to make a real-world impact, this is just one of the many kind gestures that Steve Harvey and his foundation have made over the years.

Starting with a Kent State scholarship, who knows where these eight bright students will end up?