NATCHITOCHES – The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association has committed to a donation of $5,000 per year for the next five years to the Rose Landry Long Scholarship, an award that benefits first-generation students attending Northwestern State University.
“Our Association has always been committed to promoting education for Louisiana youth,” said Tony Patterson, LQHBA executive director. “Since 2001, the LQHBA has now funded $524,000 in scholarships.”
LQHBA is the official authorized representative of the American Quarter Horse racing and breeding industry in Louisiana. The association provides a unified voice for communicating the advantages and rewards of breeding quarter horses and coordinates activities with breeding and racing agencies. LQHBA is recognized by the Louisiana Legislature and the Louisiana State Racing Commission as the official registry of accredited Louisiana-bred racing quarter horses.
“The LQHBA board of directors recently met with Senator Gerald Long and we are proudly committing a total donation of $25,000 at $5,000 per year to this wonderful cause. We are very honored to contribute to the Rose Landry Long Scholarship,” Patterson said.
The Rose Landry Long Scholarship was created last year to honor Mrs. Long, Senator Long’s late wife, who passed away April 30, 2017, following an 11-month battle with brain cancer. A native of Gueydan, Mrs. Long was the first person in her family to attend college, graduating from Northwestern State with honors in 1968. As a freshman at NSU, Mrs. Long met Gerald Long and two were married 11 months later.
Mrs. Long touched many lives through her civic involvement, through leading Bible studies and engagement with child and family resource centers throughout Louisiana. The Longs mentored many middle school, high school and college students and coaches through Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Mrs. Long served as her husband’s campaign manager when he ran for the State Senate and after his election was involved with the Legislative community, leading Bible studies, hosting prayer breakfasts and serving on committees that addressed moral and social concerns. She also chaired the Louisiana Legends committee for Louisiana Public Broadcasting and was recognized as the Public Broadcasting System’s Grassroots Advocacy National Volunteer of the Year. During her illness, she could often be found seeking out and praying with strangers in cancer treatment waiting rooms.
Sen. Long created the scholarship last fall, garnering state-wide pledges of support. Inaugural recipients, awarded for the Spring 2018 semester, were Elizabeth Schoubroek, a business administration major from Zwolle, and Rowdy Burleson, a criminal justice major from Evelyn. Recipients must maintain a 2.5 grade point average and must be full-time first generation students.
“We are building a generation of students who will be community leaders,” Sen. Long said. “Because of LQHBA, first-generation students that could not attend college will be able to.”
Information on the Rose Land Long Scholarship is available by contacting NSU Development Officer Jill Bankston, CFRE, at (318) 357-4414 or emailing bankstonj@nsula.edu.
The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association has pledged $5,000 per year for the next five years to support the Rose Landy Long Scholarship for First Generation Students at Northwestern State University. Announcing the scholarship were, from left, NSU Development Officer Jill Bankston, LQHBA Executive Director Tony Patterson, Peggy Williams, LQHBA accreditations, out of state mares and memberships manager; LQHBA Board Member D. Michael Hayes, Sen. Gerald Long and NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio and First Lady Jennifer Maggio.