Most people consider five people to be a rather large family. Every now and then, you'll come across a family with six people in it. Well, Tykera Lundy is from a family of 9. Yes, you read correctly... NINE! Imagine a mother trying to pay for college tuition on top of everyday expenses. Somehow, Candice Lundy manages to push through and hold it altogether.
Pastor Anthony Scott, of Word of Life Church of God in Christ, reached out to Parlay and suggested Tykera for our weekly scholarship through the Parlay Foundation. "Tykera is an outstanding young lady. She comes from a good family with a strong mother who does all she can to raise her kids properly. Tykera is a model young lady at school and at church. Any support she can get would indeed help her mother," explained Pastor Scott.
Lundy recently graduated from The Legacy School of Support Sciences in Houston, TX. This fall she'll be enrolling at Livingstone College, an HBCU in Salisbury, NC. She'll be majoring in Business Management / Hospitality (Culinary Arts).
(Pictured: Livingstone College)
Every Friday, The Parlay Foundation does an online campaign called, "I Got 5 On It Friday". Supporters donate $5 or more and the proceeds help us continue investing into HBCU students and Minority Families. Tykera was the recipient of a $500 scholarship to go towards her college tuition.
Upon receiving her financial aid from Parlay, Tykera sent this message to our organization. "I want to take the time to thank the Parlay Foundation for this much needed scholarship. I was feeling down and hopeless because I needed just a handful more money. Luckily I got picked for the scholarship. It gave me the inch of hope I was longing for. This opportunity has made me more determined to be someone and to give back as soon as I can. It's my plan after college to open my own restaurants and give back to the community. My journey has been hard but I know it's not over yet. Thank God for the Parlay foundation & for all that you do."
The Parlay Foundation launched in 2017 but the weekly campaign for HBCU students began in 2020 to help minority families with college tuition during Covid. "The I Got 5 On It Friday campaign will celebrate 3 years in August 2023. Our commitment to HBCU students has been a priority of Parlay since we launched in 2017. Through the support of the Parlay Community, we have been able to assist more than 100 students in the past three years. We are happy we were able to help Tykera and it is our goal to help many more," said Reaux Fareal, Founder of The Parlay Foundation. "Everytime our Foundation is able to give financial support to an HBCU student, it confirms our foundation's slogan... Parlay Works."
Students can apply for the HBCU financial aid program on The Parlay app/website. Parlay requires a community leader or school officer to confirm the details of the student in consideration. The Foundation requires this information to avoid scam submissions. Donations of $5 or more can be made on the Parlay website/app or by cashapp: $HBCU5.
