Tennessee State University has been selected as The Tom Joyner Foundation School of the Month for October. With the designation, The Tom Joyner Foundation will award scholarships weekly to TSU students. They will include five “Hercules Scholars,” who are preselected male full-time students with GPAs of 3.5 or higher, who exhibit academic excellence, demonstrate leadership skills, with “strong” community service backgrounds.

Those selected as Tom Joyner Foundation Hercules Scholars are: Jaquantey Bowens, a sophomore Biology major with a 4.0 GPA; Ronald Talley, a junior Accounting major from Chicago with a 3.67 GPA; Romin Geiger, a junior Psychology major from Sacramento, California, with a 3.80 GPA; Renard Talley, a junior Accounting major from Chicago with 3.74 GPA; and Jordan Price, a sophomore Mass Communication major from Atlanta, with a 3.5 GPA.

Also during the month, Joyner’s weekly morning program will feature TSU accomplishments, interviews with President Glenda Glover and other officials, as well as spotlight national and local donors who make significant contributions to the university.

“We are pleased to partner with the Tom Joyner Foundation in this fundraising effort,” TSU President Glenda Glover said. “With the national exposure that comes with this designation, we expect to advance our visibility and capacity to help students stay in school.”

Eloise Abernathy Alexis, TSU’s associate vice president for Institutional Advancement, said the collaboration with The Tom Joyner Foundation supports the university’s strategy to increase dollars raised toward scholarships for students.

“We are grateful for the opportunities afforded deserving Tennessee State University students through the Hercules Scholarship. Without the stress associated with financial need, these emerging scholars can focus on academic achievement. The Tom Joyner Foundation’s support of students through scholarships represents the best in educational partnerships,” Alexis said.

The The TJF was founded nearly 20 years ago by syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner. It supports Historically Black Colleges and Universities with scholarship, endowment, and capacity building enhancements. Donations to the School of the Month scholarship campaign can be made through the Tom Joyner Foundation website at tomjoynerfoundation.org.

“I’m so excited that the Foundation is partnering with the Tigers this month,” Joyner said. “You know, HBCUs are part of my DNA, and I’m glad that Tennessee State is working overtime to make sure that their students have a chance to get the scholarships they need to complete their education. These scholars are the future leaders of this country. Let’s do all we can to help them succeed.”

The Tom Joyner School of the Month fundraising campaign coincides with a number of activities at TSU in October. The University is gearing up for its annual Scholarship Gala at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville on Friday Oct. 16, as part of the 2015 Homecoming events Oct. 11-17. Grammy-nominated and Tony Award winner Melba Moore will be the featured guest at the Gala. Also, making his second straight appearance as celebrity host of the Gala is comedian, actor and entertainer Jonathan Slocumb.