Frank’s Scholarship Story

Opportunity Multiplied

A campus visit during high school sparked an instant interest in the Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College for both Frank Whitely IV and his mom. 

Frank remembered, “And one thing that stuck out to me, in particular, was the trip that they described to Oxford, England, where we would study at Oxford University and learn all kinds of things about British culture. My mom was especially excited about it, and she was all riled up. She said, you know, I should go to the Honors College and maybe someday I'd go to Oxford and study there.”

As it turns out, that’s exactly what would happen. Frank, a native of New Orleans, chose LSU — where his parents met — after a lifetime of experiencing the campus. “When I was a kid, I was fascinated with LSU. I liked all the architecture a lot, and I really enjoyed the football games. My dad always tells a story that he used to take me to the Saints games, and I would plug my ears, but I could never get enough of the LSU games. … The college campus was like a whole city dedicated to learning.”

He’s now a senior majoring in history and political science, with plans to attend law school after graduation. His experience studying in Oxford — with support from the Michael Blue Honors in Oxford Program Support Fund — was a memorable bridge between classroom learning and real-life application, and it carried the added benefit of strengthening his sense of community among peers at LSU.

Frank shared, “I think that was an opportunity for me to connect my knowledge to the real world from the history classes and even the political science classes. And another thing that I found very important was the people I met on the trip. We really had a good time. We had 16 students, and we all got to know each other very well, probably within a week, just because we were spending so much time together.”

The experience heightened Frank’s awareness of — and appreciation for — the impactful role of philanthropy. Multiple donors who supported the trip joined the students for a portion of their visit. Frank said, “I know the whole trip wouldn’t have been possible without their contributions,” adding, “I know that the philanthropy has been very influential in making LSU what it is. Most of my positive experiences at LSU have been a result of people donating money. Even my job at the Shell Tutorial Center wouldn't be possible without donors. I know that most of the programs that are free to students result directly from donations, which I'm very thankful for.” 

Through Frank’s job with the Shell Tutorial Center, part of the LSU Center for Academic Success, he helps students with microeconomics. He started out as a tutor and is now a supplemental instructor. The experience has been meaningful for both his peers and for Frank. 

“I really enjoyed working with the students and helping them get through problems that I remember working on when I was a student in that class and sharing my experience with them and trying to help them get better grades. My favorite part was when they left feeling like they had learned something and that they were better off and more equipped to take the tests.”

“I know that the philanthropy has been very influential in making LSU what it is. Most of my positive experiences at LSU have been a result of people donating money. Even my job at the Shell Tutorial Center wouldn't be possible without donors. I know that most of the programs that are free to students result directly from donations, which I'm very thankful for.”

The experience has been mutually beneficial, one that Frank deeply values. He said, “It was helpful, I'm sure, to the students. But it was also helpful for me because it helped me kind of branch out and meet more people and just be able to talk to strangers and try to connect with them in a positive way.”