Cory and Priscilla Redding Endow Student Scholarship in College of Education April 30, 2012

National Football League player Cory Redding and his wife Priscilla have donated $100,000 to establish the Cory and Priscilla Redding Family Scholarship in The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education.

The Reddings have provided the initial gift funds towards the establishment of a scholarship and the Cory Redding Foundation will be supporting long-term fundraising efforts. Additionally, Cory plans to interact as often as possible with the student scholarship recipients and serve as a mentor.

Cory, who is a defensive end with the Indianapolis Colts, is completing a degree in Youth and Community Studies in the College of Education during the off-season, and Priscilla received her bachelor of science in Applied Learning and Development from the College of Education in 2003.

The Redding scholarship was set up to help provide educational opportunities to undergraduate students who have demonstrated financial need, with recipients ideally being incoming freshmen who exhibited “desire, discipline and dedication in their everyday lives.”

"It is always an honor to have our students come back and be supportive alumni," said Dr. Sherry Field, associate dean for teacher education, student affairs and administration in the College of Education. "When they link their name to a scholarship in perpetuity, it is incredibly humbling. Your scholarship is going to make it possible for students to attend college who possibly could not without your help and very generous support. There is no doubt that the students will be transformed by what you are doing and by what your family has created. What we believe in equally, if not more, is that it is important to think about the number of lives that each one of your scholarships will touch; the lives that the teachers will touch. It is incalculable in number."

The endowment was announced Friday, April 27, at a special ceremony attended by the Reddings, UT-Austin President Bill Powers, Longhorns head coach Mack Brown, Field, College of Education assistant dean for development Karl Miller, and College of Education assistant dean for student affairs Richard Hogeda.

“We say that we change people’s lives here at the university and what they do is go out and be a big part of their communities, give back and help,” said President Powers. “Cory and Priscilla, we are proud of you.”

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the College of Education number one among all U.S. public universities and number three among public and private universities. The college is ranked first in the nation in research expenditures.

—Kay Randall, University Communications, 512-232-3910