Highley Scholarship Fund honors commitment to MSU

As a Morehead State University staff member, Mindy Highley (Class of 1991, 1993) has dedicated her career to alumni engagement and student success. Through a planned gift commitment, that dedication will continue through the creation of the Mindy C. Highley Scholarship Fund.   

A native of Morehead, Highley graduated from MSU with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Public Relations and Advertising Option in 1991. Earning a Master of Arts in Communication in 1993, she walked across the commencement stage again and straight into a career at MSU that would span nearly three decades.    

Joining the team in the Office of Development, Mindy began as the telegiving coordinator, developing and implementing the phonathon program that saw students making personal calls to alumni and friends at MSU – a program still in operation today. She later moved up to the director of annual giving, then the director of development and eventually to assistant vice president for alumni relations and development, a role she has held since 2015.    

Her career at MSU covered 28 years. She took lead roles in successful scholarship and fundraising campaigns that have raised tens of millions of dollars for campus facilities, scholarships and other University priorities. She also created and implemented the Herron Leadership Program, a student leadership, enrollment and retention initiative launched in 2016 thanks to the generous support of private donors.    

Though she has retired this summer, Highley's legacy and commitment to MSU continues. Once endowed through the fulfillment of her estate gift, the Mindy C. Highley Scholarship Fund will provide scholarship support to undergraduate students from MSU's 22-county service region, with preference given to students from Rowan, Bath or Lewis counties. Preference will also be provided to students who show leadership through their involvement in high school and community service activities.    

Through her decades of work at MSU, Highley understands better than most the importance of private giving and the impact it can have on students. Through this scholarship, her work on behalf of MSU won't end at retirement but will continue for decades to come. In Highley's own words – "Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle."   

If you’re interested in establishing your own scholarship or making a planned gift commitment, contact MSU's Office of Alumni Relations and Development at 606-783-2033, email giving@moreheadstate.edu or visit alumni.moreheadstate.edu.