Dalton Curtis is first recipient of Gary LaFleur Memorial Scholarship
The Morehead State University Foundation announced the first recipient of the newly established Dr. Gary LaFleur Memorial Scholarship. The recipient is Dalton Curtis, an incoming first-year student from Olympia majoring in strategic communication.
“As a first-year student and coming from a family that lives paycheck to paycheck, a scholarship would alleviate the stress of having to fund my education,” Curtis said. “Having a scholarship will make life after college less stressful so that I can focus on my career and job tasks instead of having to worry about debt.”
According to his family, Gary began his communication and teaching career at the tender age of four, loving to converse with everyone he encountered. Though he long-valued the art of engaging others, LaFleur began his official teaching career in 1973 and came to MSU in 1991 as an associate professor of strategic communication. Throughout his career, LaFleur won numerous professional awards and recognitions. He was given the Kentucky Communication Association's (KCA) Teacher of the Year Award in 2006 and the KCA Presidential Award for Distinguished Service in 2008. He was also a three-time winner of the organization's Distinguished Service to the Profession Award, winning twice in Kentucky and once while teaching at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. He also served as KCA president from 2004-05.
LaFleur passed away in September 2022 at the age of 71. To honor his love and commitment to education, his wife, Cathie Long, established this scholarship in his memory.
“The Dr. Gary LaFleur Memorial Scholarship is a testament to his love of teaching and will provide financial support and encouragement to students at MSU,” Long said. “He so enjoyed being at the front of the classroom connecting with his students through stories, methods and even laughter – all things that taught the art of effective communication.”
Scholarship recipients must be full-time students majoring in strategic communication and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. Preference goes to juniors or seniors in the program and Kentucky residents who are first-generation college students. The scholarship is $500 a year, ($250 per semester), pending available funding, and is a one-time, nonrenewable reward. Recipients may reapply and be considered annually.
For more information on this scholarship, contact MSU's Office of Alumni Relations and Development at 606-783-2033, email giving@moreheadstate.edu or visit alumni.moreheadstate.edu.
