Lecture raises $3,000 for student assistance fund

Pictured left to right are Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Matt Baker, Student Affairs Administrative Specialist Selena Foreman, President Dr. Lance Tatum and First Lady Jill Tatum. On Wednesday, the Tatums presented Baker and Foreman with a donation to the University's Pay It Forward Fund. (Photo by Lilly Cook/Northwest Missouri State University)

Northwest Missouri State University President Dr. Lance Tatum and First Lady Jill Tatum on Wednesday presented staff representing the University's Pay It Forward Fund committee with a check for $3,000 from the proceeds of a recent lecture on the campus.

The Pay It Forward Fund assists Northwest students who may be struggling financially while engaging them with resources available to be successful academically and socially. Funds are dispersed by the Office of Student Affairs to assist with the costs of items such as supplemental textbooks and course supplies, medical needs, tuition or emergency transportation.

The proceeds for the donation were collected as a result of a Sept. 21 lecture at Northwest that featured Gerry Brooks, a longtime friend of the Tatums and veteran educator whose humorous videos have gained him a vast social media audience.

It was the second consecutive year Brooks has appeared at Northwest in support of the Pay It Forward Fund, raising a total of $11,565.

"When we gave Gerry an opportunity to think about where this money would go, he was very passionate about the idea of helping students," President Tatum said. "The Pay It Forward fund was a natural fit, and when I explained to him what it supported, he said, 'Yes, let's do that.' He has a real heart for students."

For more information or to contribute to the Pay it Forward Fund, contact the Office of Student Affairs at [email protected].