McNeese Visual Arts Major Awarded Scholarship by Texas Nonprofit

Blake Kidner, a visual arts major, is one of 16 recipients of a $1,431 scholarship awarded by the 431 Exchange, a Texas nonprofit organization that provides scholarships for continuing or vocational education students from a five-state region.

The 431 Exchange’s scholarship program was established to honor the legacy of Louisiana pioneering career educator Dr. Alice Geoffray, founder of the New Orleans Adult Education Center in 1965. The program, named for the original 431 Black female graduates who became the first Black secretaries to integrate the multinational corporations and local businesses of the city, helped pave the way for equal employment opportunity in the South.

Blake – whose concentration is in photography – says McNeese was his first choice in large part due to his professors who “help students achieve their dreams.” At McNeese, he is a member of the Pride of McNeese Marching Band and the McNeese Wind Symphony.