Talk Show Host Paying Tuition For 8 Kent State Students

KENT, OH — Talk show host Steve Harvey will pay for eight students to attend Kent State University this fall. His gift will cover the total cost of attendance for each student.

Harvey, an actor, producer and best selling author, is a former Kent State student. He flew each of the eight scholarship recipients to Los Angeles in May to film a segment for his talk show "Steve." The episode will air June 26.

“Whenever we can, we find a way to change the lives of young people through scholarship programs we have come up with,” Harvey said in a statement. He added that the appearance on “Steve” and his social media platform will “really blow up the fact that Kent State has made an effort to reach out to some forgotten young people to change their lives through education. I’m more than happy to be a part of it.”

Five of the eight students that appeared on "Steve" are members of Kent State's TRIO Upward Bound pre-college program, which helps students overcome class, social, academic and cultural barriers to higher education. Two of the students attend Ginn Academy in Cleveland and one of the students, from Maryland, is a mentee in the Steve Harvey Mentoring Program.

The scholarships are worth approximately $23,000 per student. All of the students must maintain a 2.5 GPA per semester to renew the scholarship.

The Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation also made a $10,000 commitment to the Kent State's Men Empowerment Network (M.E.N.) within the Student Multicultural Center. M.E.N. supports the academic, personal, professional and social development of men of color at Kent State.

According to Kent State, the combined commitment from the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation and the university is $736,000. Sonya Williams, the interim executive director of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, announced the gift when she appeared on Harvey's talk show.

Kent State provided a bio on the eight students receiving the scholarships. Here is that information:

Lamont Averett of Barberton, Ohio — is a member of TRIO Upward Bound Classic Academy pre-college program and a graduate of Barberton High. He plans to study history in the College of Arts and Sciences and pursue a career in education.

Zethran Jackson of Akron, Ohio — a member of the TRIO Upward Bound Classic Academy pre-college program and a graduate of Buchtel Community Learning Center. He plans to study biology and pursue a career as a surgeon.

Mark Jenkins of Barberton, Ohio — a member of the TRIO Upward Bound Classic Academy pre-college program and a graduate of Barberton High. He plans to study criminal justice and plans to pursue a career in the same field.

Jaiden Morales of Lorain, Ohio — a member of the TRIO Upward Bound Classic Academy pre-college program and graduate of Lorain High. He earned an associate degree at the same time as his high school diploma.

Johnell Parnell of Akron, Ohio — a member of the TRIO Upward Bound Classic Academy pre-college program and graduate of Buchtel Community Learning Center. He plans to enter college as an exploratory student to identify his major and find a career that lets him support others in reaching their full potential.

Kelvon Gibson of Cleveland, Ohio — a graduate of Ginn Academy High. He plans to study athletic training because of his passion for sports and athletics. “I went to Ginn Academy based on its academic and athletic reputation,” he said. “My education is important to me because I have plans for the future. I understand that without education, I wouldn’t make it very far. I am entirely thankful and truly blessed for this opportunity Steve Harvey has presented me with.” Mr. Gibson is the son of Renee Gibson.

Anthony Morris Jr. of Cleveland, Ohio — a graduate of Ginn Academy High (and valedictorian of the Class of 2019). “I value education because it provides you with endless opportunities to achieve your dreams,” he said. “Your education is what you make it, and it is up to you to shape your future. I will use education as tool to guide me to my dream of becoming a registered nurse.” Mr. Morris is the son of Anthony Morris Sr. and Roslyn L. Morris.

Craig Johnson of Springdale, Maryland — a graduate of Charles Herbert Flower High . He will study finance in the College of Business Administration. He was also a member of the Steve Harvey Mentoring Program.