Dillard students awarded for academic achievement

By David T. Baker
Contributing Writer

Two Dillard University students were the recipients of a newly created scholarship for being outstanding in their class.

Dillard University senior Brit­tany Martin of New Orleans and junior Travis Stanley of Atlanta each received $1,000 scholarships from Ely Edwards Enter­prises, Inc. that was put toward the students’ 2014 spring semester expenses. The students were presented with the scholarships at the Ely Ed­wards Enterprises annual holiday gathering at Morton’s Steakhouse.

The university chose Martin and Stanley as the recipients of this year’s scholarship from a pool of students in the its school of business who had a focus on real estate and maintained high GPAs.

Albert Edwards II, president and CEO of Ely Edwards Enterprises, Inc. and a graduate of Dillard University said he began the scholarship as a way to give back to his alma mater and help to students who might be achieving academically to continue to do so while also easing any financial strain.

“It makes sense to do what we can to augment their success and help them get across that finish line,” Edwards said.

Edwards said he wanted to give back to the institution that helped him to achieve success: “As a Dillard alum, naturally, I attribute a good deal of success to the educational process that I’d gone through.”

Since graduating Dillard in 1995, Edwards has gone on to build his own company, Ely Edwards Enterprises, Inc., a New Orleans-based real estate holding and investment company.

“The degree from Dillard was a big part of that,” said Edwards.

Edwards plans to offer the scholarship annually and said he’s “looking forward to enhancing the educational opportunities to other deserving Dillard University students in the future.”

This article originally published in the May 12, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.