Two years ago, when Aaron Humphreys, BA 1992, established a full-tuition-and-fees scholarship for senior language arts students, he knew that he wanted to help motivated students like senior Erica Knox make it to graduation.

Knox had been dreaming of “everything French” since she saw Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” at the age of six. A single mom who has been taking out loans and working full-time to fulfill her dream of being a high school French teacher, Knox knew she would be adding to her loan burden to graduate. “I’ve had to take out a lot of loans, which is scary because I’ve been able to pay for college, but when I graduate, I wonder if I will ever be able to catch up.”

Knox applied for and received the Humphreys Scholarship, but says all of her classmates are grateful to Humphreys. “We are all so thankful to Dr. Humphreys for thinking about us,” she says. “People get busy and forget about where they came from. I hope that someday I can do the same thing that Dr. Humphreys has and give back.”

Humphreys, who is a medical doctor, says establishing the scholarship means as much to him as it does to Knox. “I made the scholarship to say thank you,” he says. “I am grateful to be able to help motivated and talented students like Erica. Funny how even in giving, I become the recipient.”

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