by Adam Lord
Under the shade of the oak tree bearing his name in honor of previous contributions, Alexandria’s Charlie Weems presented Chancellor Paul Coreil and the LSUA Foundation a personal gift of $100,000 toward the Fierce for LSUA capital campaign to build a state-of-the-art Student Success Center. Flanked by LSUA Board member Glenda Stock Smith, LSUA Foundation Executive Director Melinda Anderson, and Chancellor Coreil, Weems spoke to a crowd of more than seventy members of LSUA faculty, staff, and students.
If you visit LSUA’s campus, you will undoubtedly see the many changes taking place. As bulldozers and dump trucks bustled past the celebration, Glenda Stock Smith asked rhetorically, “Could there be a better time than now at LSUA?” She encouraged the crowd to be mindful of the role we all play in creating the “buzz” about LSUA that is palpable in Central Louisiana. While the Weems Gift will have an undeniable impact on the work of LSUA, so too do the small conversations by people who are excited about what LSUA offers to this community.
Dr. Paul Coreil, LSUA Chancellor, said of Charlie Weems, “His generosity and ferocity for LSUA is an inspiration to do what is right. After decades of service to the board, Charlie continues to be an active part of the LSUA community. His gift says, ‘Keep up the good work!’ to all of us.” Coreil went on to expound on the gift’s support of the forthcoming Student Success Centers, stating the center “will put LSUA on the cutting edge of student support in higher education in the state of Louisiana.”
“Today is not about me,” Weems explained with a smile, “Today is about LSUA. Each one of us has to deal with the challenges that are presented to us. Twenty years ago, when LSUA became a four-year university, it was just the beginning. We looked around and realized we needed a campus to be proud of. The changes you see on the outside today are finally becoming a reflection of the quality LSUA has been inside all along.” Weems concluded, “I am so happy to make this gift to LSUA.”
Work on the Student Success Center will begin after the conclusion of the $5M private funding phase to be matched through a public-private partnership with the State of Louisiana.
Photo Credit: Cameron Mosely
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