Eugene and Natalie Martin did everything they could to provide for their children, including Gene and his two siblings. Although they struggled financially, even spending a couple of years in a homeless shelter, they always managed to come through and ensure that their children had what they needed. They especially wanted Gene to have the college education they weren’t able to have.
When Gene was accepted to Plymouth State, he almost missed his first year due to a shortage of money toward his tuition. Eugene and Natalie once again worked to fill the financial gap, and so began Gene’s exceptional experience at Plymouth.
Inspired by his parents and the life-changing opportunities he found at Plymouth, Gene decided to give back by creating the Eugene P. Martin Sr. P’09 and Natalie J. Martin P’09 Scholarship. Established in 2019, the scholarship’s criteria is unique to any other financial assistance on campus: the recipient must be a person of color. Gene felt it was important to honor his parents in their lifetime so that they could see how their support and encouragement was being passed on by their son to other students in need. He believed he had a moral obligation to open the doors of opportunity to students of color who may be unable to afford an education without financial assistance.
Gene has been moved by friends and alumni who have been inspired to make a gift to this student scholarship fund, given the recent events in our country.
Establishing a named scholarship fund is a meaningful way to honor family members, a mentor, or a specific passion of yours. Our thoughtful advancement staff will listen to your philanthropic vision for supporting students and guide you with options to bring it to fruition. A named annual scholarship can be established with a five year commitment of at least $1,500 annually. For more information regarding named annual scholarships, contact John Scheinman P’19, Director of Development, by phone at (603) 535-2805 or via jscheinman@plymouth.edu.
