The Glenn Armentor Pay It Forward Scholarship was created in 2010 to annually award at-risk students with $10,000 to pursue the major of their choice at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Each year, the Pay It Forward Committee hears the stories of students who have suffered through extraordinary challenges and managed to succeed academically despite those setbacks. This year, there were four incredible winners: Parrish Lopez, Kylee Doré, Chesney Menard, and Saxon d’Augereau.
Each winner faced obstacles that even adults twice their age would struggle to overcome: Parrish with the insurmountable losses of three parents, Kylee with an unstable and abusive home life, Chesney with both parents addicted to drugs, and Saxon with his mother’s double cancer recurrence. In spite of their respective battles, each of these inspirational students worked hard to maintain their grades and make it to graduation day.
Stories like theirs are the heart of the Pay It Forward Scholarship. These scholarships not only provide the initial $10,000 to help students with tuition and expenses, but they also offer the opportunity of a job at The Glenn Armentor Law Corporation. For many winners, the Pay It Forward Scholarship even opens the door for other scholarships and grants.
When Glenn Armentor created the program, his hope was to pay forward the kindness and generosity that he received during his own time of struggle. After 12 years and 44 students, Mr. Armentor has done exactly what he set out to do – and he doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.
With the help of the Pay It Forward Scholarship, Parrish is attending UL Lafayette as a Finance major. Kylee is studying Psychology with a focus in social work. Chesney is an Accounting major, and Saxon plans to graduate in Biology. All four are surely destined to achieve great things given what they have already accomplished.
Do the stories of Parrish, Kylee, Chesney, and Saxon sound familiar? If you know a student in need who is deserving of a chance at a brighter future, direct them to glennarmentor.com/Pay-It-Forward for a chance to win The Pay It Forward Scholarship.