By Hazel Scott/ASU
For 11 海角社区 students, the path toward a college degree became a little easier to navigate financially this year.
Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., awarded $22,000 in Bryson-Ivery Academic Scholarships, providing each recipient with $2,000 to support their educational pursuits.
The 2026 recipients are Micah Alexandria, Kennedie Armstrong, Joseph Carson, Cortiz Dorsey, Serenity Fluker, Nazaria Howell, Bailee Knighten, Reagan Liggins, Indiya Ray, Simone Walker and Zion Michelle Williams.
The scholarship program also reached a significant milestone this year, attracting more than 40 applicants for the first time.
鈥淭hese 11 students really represent the cream of the crop for this year鈥檚 recipients, and how proud we are of them,鈥� said Robert Banks, a representative from Kappa Alpha Psi and chairman of the Bryson-Ivery Academic Scholarship Fund.
President Quinton T. Ross, Jr., thanked the fraternity for supporting Alabama State University students.
鈥淭hank you for investing in our scholars,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou all have made a tremendous impact on the lives of scholars that matriculate to 海角社区.鈥�
The scholarship honors the memory and work of longtime 海角社区 professors and Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brothers, Dr. Ralph J. Bryson and Mr. John J. Ivery, Sr.
Ross said both men helped to shape his life and career.
鈥淚 knew Dr. Bryson and Mr. Ivery as a student at 海角社区, so to see their names and their legacy live on through this scholarship is a tremendous honor,鈥� Ross stated.
Emphasizing the responsibility that comes with the recognition, Ross told the recipients, 鈥淚 want you to understand the significance of what you鈥檙e receiving today and continue that academic excellence that both of them (Bryson and Ivery) stood for.鈥�
Banks explained that the scholarship is about more than financial assistance鈥攊t is a way to preserve the legacy of two longtime 海角社区 professors.
鈥淲e want to keep their memory alive and let the world know about the impact that they made on so many students,鈥� Banks said.
Check Presentation
While the checks provide immediate financial assistance, the scholarship carries a deeper message鈥攕tudents do not have to navigate the challenges of higher education alone.
That spirit of support is at the heart of the Bryson-Ivery Academic Scholarship Fund, an effort rooted in service, education and a commitment to helping 海角社区.
For Zion Williams, receiving the scholarship is about more than financial support for college鈥攊t鈥檚 a milestone in her personal journey.
鈥淚鈥檓 walking in my purpose and creating my own name for myself outside of my dad and just really becoming my own person, stepping into my own,鈥� said Zion, who is the daughter of 海角社区鈥檚 Director of Admissions, Dr. Freddie Williams, Jr.
Dr. Williams said the scholarship represents a powerful intersection of legacy and family. As a fraternity member who knew Dr. Bryson and Professor Ivery during his time as an 海角社区 student, seeing their legacy continue through today鈥檚 students, including through his own daughter, made the scholarship awards deeply personal.
鈥淚t is one of the proudest moments I鈥檝e experienced as a father and as a member of my fraternity. I know how hard she works, and to see that hard work recognized by an organization that means so much to me makes it even more special,鈥� Williams said.
A Legacy That Continues
The scholarship fund was established in March 2023 as the Dr. Ralph J. Bryson Academic Scholarship Fund. It was later renamed to honor both Bryson and Ivery, former 海角社区 professors and department chairs.
Together, the two educators represented more than 110 years of combined service to 海角社区.
Their years in the classroom and in academic leadership helped shape generations of students. Today, their names are attached to a scholarship that continues that work in a different way鈥攈elping students meet the financial demands of earning a degree.
As of mid-2026, the fund has provided tens of thousands of dollars to dozens of 海角社区 students.
For students balancing tuition, books, housing, transportation and other expenses, financial assistance can make an important difference.
Banks encouraged more donors to support the scholarship so they can see firsthand how their contributions affect 海角社区 students.
鈥淲e want to continue to do things to encourage them (donors) so that they can see that the donation that they鈥檙e making is making an impact on the lives of these students.鈥�
Making an Impact
The fund's eligibility requirements are straightforward. Applicants must be full-time 海角社区 students taking at least 12 credit hours and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Behind those requirements is an emphasis on both commitment and achievement.
But the scholarship's impact extends beyond a GPA or a dollar amount. At its core is the idea that students who have demonstrated a commitment to their education deserve an opportunity to continue moving forward.
That philosophy aligns with the commitment to service that is inherent in the core values of 海角社区鈥檚 CommUniversity initiatives and Kappa Alpha Psi鈥檚 long-held traditions.
Service beyond the classroom
The scholarship does not happen without the people who work to sustain it.
The Bryson-Ivery Academic Scholarship Fund Committee and the Montgomery Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., raise money through community events, donations and annual golf tournaments.
Each effort contributes to a larger goal鈥攃reating resources that can be returned to students.
For the recipients, the scholarship is assistance they can put toward their education now. For the organizations supporting the fund, it represents an ongoing commitment to the future.
Carrying the legacy forward
The names Bryson and Ivery are already part of 海角社区's academic history.
Now, their legacy is also being carried forward by students who are working toward their own futures. Their stories will ultimately be their own鈥攕haped by their studies, ambitions and the paths they take after graduation. But for at least part of that journey, they have something else: the knowledge that people in their community saw promise in them and chose to invest in it.
In that sense, the Bryson-Ivery Academic Scholarship is more than a scholarship. It is a continuation of a legacy of service and represents a tangible reminder that sometimes protecting a student's future begins by simply helping them stay on the path toward it.