I am honored to be accepted into this brotherhood. I will do all I can to live up to the MG reputation. I am very proud to receive this award. I will do all that I can to make sure my time at Augie is used to promoted the positive image of the black man, that the MGs have always striven to represent. I thank the MGs for trusting me with this honor and I promise to continue carrying the legacy of the MGs.

Sincerely,
Lee Roberson III

P.S.
This is a picture of me on the Great Wall of China.

Melvin Owens III c/o 2015
Business Marketing & Management Major

My name is Melvin Owens III, a current senior at Augustana College and recipient of the 2014 MG Scholarship award. I am actively pursuing a Business Administration degree with concentrations in Marketing & Management, and I am on pace to graduate in May of 2015.

The importance of education is a value that was instilled in me from an early age, as my mother and father were the first individuals in their families to attend and complete college. Throughout my childhood, they made it a point to ensure that I had an understanding of the obstacles African-Americans and other minorities, including themselves, had to overcome just to get the opportunity to take advantage of basic luxuries like a good education. Furthermore, they, along with other positive role models, demonstrated the important roles that compassion, intellectualism, and resiliency play in achieving ones dreams and realizing his or her full potential. These things coupled together further increased my desire for knowledge and success, and I feel personally motivated and obligated to become the best person I possibly can, and to not squander the opportunities that my predecessors worked so hard to obtain. From sports to school, this inspiration is present in every aspect of my life.

In my time at Augustana, I have dealt with a number of challenging classes and situations; however, I believe it is these things that have helped shape me into the well-rounded person I am today. Augustana’s liberal arts approach has not only helped facilitate the achievement of my academic goals, but personal ones, as well. In addition, college has been excellent in allowing me the opportunity to participate in a number of community service projects, benefitting organizations such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and Augustana’s own Camp Kesem to name a few. Outside of campus service projects, I continue to do volunteer work with my church, Westside Christian Center. After graduating, it is my immediate goal to obtain a Marketing/Sales position with a forward thinking organization, while also improving my passions of Graphic Design and Music Production to the point that they eventually become my primary sources of income.

In closing, I would like to thank the entire Majestic Gents foundation, not only for their donation and personal interest in my education, but for being upstanding men and great examples for myself and the upcoming generation of future leaders. It is my aim to follow along in these footsteps and to use my gifts to hopefully make as positive of an impact in the lives of others as the MG foundation has made in mine.

Maliek Ford c/o 2016
Communications Studies Major
Basketball
Football

My name is Maliek Ford.  I am currently a sophomore student at Augustana College and a communication studies major. Growing up in Aurora, Colorado, education  was such a huge part of my life since my mother was an aspiring teacher.   I began taking challenging courses in elementary school and continued through high school.  In the past I have had experience with taking challenging courses and have had success with them.

Extracurricular activities have also had a role in my life as well. From a very young age, I have been playing basketball and football.  I also have been doing volunteer work for the homeless at Kings Harvest Ministries for the past several months.  I am an ambitious young man and have high goals that I expect to reach.

Floyd Mays c/o 2013
Mass Communication & Mass Journalism Major
Majestic Gents
Track & Field

My name is Floyd Mays and I am the recent recipient of the MG Scholarship award.  I would like to thank both of you and the MG family for you recent donation to my education here at Augustana College.   As you may know I am a senior and will be graduating within the next couple of months with a degree in both MJMC (Mass communication & Mass Journalism) and Psychology.  After graduation I plan on staying in the quad cities area for a year in order to prepare and take the GRE before going off to grad school to receive my masters in clinical Psychology.  In the mean time I hope to land an internship this summer with one of the local news stations as a producer and then hopefully land a job.  I am currently involved in track and enjoy playing basketball and buying shoes.

David M. Etheridge c/o 2011
Math & Sociology Major
Majestic Gents
ΑΨΩ Theatre Honor Society, Honorary Member
Black Student Union, President 2010-2011
Alpha Phi Omega – Service Fraternity
Latinos Unidos

In the fall of 2010 David Etheridge; a senior at Augustana College located in Rock Island, IL, was awarded the Majestic Gents Education Fund annual scholarship. David was a member of the Majestic Gents social organization at the college and held the highest grade point average within the group. David graduated from Augustana College in the spring of 2011.

At Augustana College David was a double major in both Math and Sociology. The activities and student groups David participated in were the Majestic Gents social organization, Track and Field, the ΑΨΩ Theatre Honor Society, the Black Student Union where he served as president, Alpha Phi Omega, and Latinos Unidos. Following graduation David became employed with Teach for America which aims to end educational inequality across the country. David currently teaches high school math in a low socioeconomic area of Milwaukee, WI. David has also created a blog chronically his career experiences.