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Livingston State Farm agent Cody Mordecai has funded a new scholarship opportunity for University of West Alabama first generation students from Sumter, Marengo, Greene, Pickens or Choctaw counties through The FLi Society, a student organization established to raise the profile of the first-generation population at UWA and offer support and encouragement to those students.

The FLi (First Generation, Low Income) Society is led by Andrea Farquhar, director of Student Support Services (SSS) at UWA, who worked closely with Mordecai to develop a scholarship that would help not only a local student, but a first-generation college student, who may not be able to attend college otherwise.

“As a lifelong resident of west Alabama, I am honored to be able to present this scholarship opportunity to the residents of Sumter, Marengo, Greene, Pickens, and Choctaw Counties,” said Mordecai. “I am proud of the FLi Society members for paving the way in education for their families and wish them continued career success in the future.”

An estimated 70 percent of  UWA students are first-generation college students.

The $500 per semester scholarship requires that the student be a current freshman or sophomore with a 3.0 GPA and in good academic standing with the University, active in Student Support Services, and a first-generation student from the above-mentioned counties.

UWA’s Office of Alumni Affairs coordinates scholarships like this within the university and community, and together with SSS, they are excited about what this scholarship does for the students who will receive it.

“So many of our students at UWA are first generation college students, and I think that is one of the attributes of UWA that makes us so unique,” said Danielle Buckalew, director of Alumni Affairs. “However, this comes with a cost for our students. Community donors like Cody Mordecai have the ability to make such an impact not only on our campus but in our community. I believe this scholarship will offer much needed assistance to our students who need it the most.”

“We are deeply grateful for Cody’s generous donation,” Farquhar said. “Our students work so hard on their academics, but basic things like not being able to afford a textbook can be hard for them to overcome on their own. This scholarship will make a tremendous difference for the recipient.”

Anyone interested in joining Cody Mordecai, State Farm and the FLi Society in supporting UWA’s first generation and low income students can contact Andrea Farquhar atafarquhar@uwa.edu or Danielle Buckalew at bdbuckalew@uwa.edu.

You can also donate to scholarship funds online at www.uwa.edu/givenow

(This article originally appeared in the Wednesday, December 26 issue of the Demopolis Times.)