Grambling State News

Investing in the past. Investing in the future.

But most of all, investing in the alma mater that molded and shaped them into the business leaders they have become in hopes of perpetuating power for new generations.

Six Grambling State University graduates are doing just that after teaming to create a $50,000 GramFam Business Alumni Endowment supporting GSU’s College of Business.

It’s a project spearheaded by 1999 GSU graduate Damon Jackson, who with his wife Patrice, a 1998 Grambling State graduate, put together a team of five other alums — Erick Harris, Jacquillia (Trigg) Hooper, Jason Heyward, Christoper Buckley and Alcide Baker, to establish the endowment.

“My wife and I had been wanting to do an endowment for Grambling for years, and I was working for Kind Snacks and was going down to Florida A&M every year and presenting an endowment on behalf of Kind,” Jackson said. “And once you give $100,000 or $110,000 a year there, you get a plaque on the wall outside the School of Business.

“So, I hit $300,000 in endowment and another $100,000 in product that I gave to the school and got a plaque on the wall. So, once I got a plaque on the wall, I realized I would love to do something like that for Grambling.”

And so, Jackson began networking with fellow GramFam.

“I told Erick that my wife and I were going to do an endowment for Grambling — $10,000  — and talk with them about giving a plaque or something to encourage other alumni to do the same,” Jackson said.  “And then Erick said, ‘Hey, I want to be a part of that.’ And once Erick said that, Jacquilla and everybody started saying they wanted to be part of it, too. So, I said that if folks are serious, I’m willing to talk to the school and see what they’re willing to do.”

Jackson and Hooper were both awarded academic scholarships and interned at Philip Morris after being recruited there by Harris. Jackson ended up following in Harris’ footsteps to begin his career.

“I used to recruit Grambling students after I went to work for Philip Morris back in 2000,” Jackson said. “I hired probably more than 35 students, and Erick Harris was the one who had hired me at Philip Morris. Myself and Jacquillia. That’s how our connection was made. He was an alum who came back and recruited us at Grambling.

“Erick and I became best friends over the years. He was my mentor when I first went to Philip Morris, and within three years I had moved up three times to the point we were on the same level. That’s when he told me the mentee had become the mentor.”

Hooper, who hails from Orlando via Baltimore, said becoming a part of GramFam is something that came easy for her.

“From a young age, I knew college was my next step — I was literally counting down the days until graduation,” Hooper said. “My criteria were simple: go far and be independent. Grambling State checked both boxes. At 13 hours from Orlando and even further from Baltimore, it was the perfect place to start fresh. Plus, the application process? A simple Scantron form — just bubbling in my future with a pencil.

“When I arrived, I was met with three things: friendly faces, relentless humidity, and an undeniable sense of community. Grambling became more than just a college; it became home.”

Harris’ sentiments about GSU are much the same.

“I bleed black and gold,” Harris said. “My mom went to Grambling. My father went to Grambling. My cousins went to Grambling. I come from right down the road in Monroe (Louisiana). I wear Grambling gear proudly. I talk about Grambling all the time. It is a part of who I am, and I do my best to stay connected with what’s going on. I live about an hour from Chicago, and while I don’t go to all of the meetings of the Windy City Alumni Chapter (of the Grambling University National Alumni Association), I make sure that I pay my dues or contribute to their fundraising efforts.

“And about every two to three years I come to Homecoming, so Grambling truly is family for me. That’s what it means to me.”

Harris, who now serves as Sales Director for Breezy Hills Nursery, said giving back to GSU’s College of Business didn’t take much consideration.

“Coming from Grambling’s College of Business is a foundational part of my career,” Harris said. “What I learned and was exposed to there, that experience has propelled me through some big companies and some smaller companies, and I have advanced everywhere I’ve been. It’s just another example of the products from the experiences you had and things you learned at Grambling. GSU’s College of Business can take you all over the place.”

Hooper, who serves as Global Vice President, Solutions at KellyOCG, also credits GSU’s College of Business for being one of the driving forces behind her success.

“Grambling State University provided me with a strong foundation of community and resilience, particularly within the African American experience,” Hooper said. “It was the first and only place where I was surrounded by Black excellence at every turn. Throughout my K-12 education, executive MBA program, and 20-plus year career, I’ve often found myself as the ‘lonely only ‘— one of very few Black women in the room. But at GSU, that wasn’t the case. I cherish that experience because it instilled a deep sense of confidence, belonging, and cultural pride.

“The College of Business accelerated my appreciation for our culture while equipping me with invaluable real-world skills. I tried sushi for the first time in an entrepreneurship class — expanding my palate and mindset. I secured an internship with a Fortune 500 company in New York City at a GSU business fair — an opportunity that shaped my career trajectory. I gained a solid understanding of accounting and profit and loss management, knowledge that has been essential in my professional growth.”

Hooper said it was more than an education she received as a GSU student.

“Every lesson, every experience, and every connection I made at GSU laid the foundation for my continued success in business,” Hooper said. “It wasn’t just about education — it was about empowerment.

The entire group behind the GramFam College of Business Endowment feel empowered by their alma mater, which led to the endowment being established. The process began with Jackson reaching out to the others.

“Jacquillia and I became friends at Grambling,” Jackson said. “And the others — Jason Heyward was in the College of Business with me. Chris Buckley is my cousin and was in the ROTC at Grambling. And Alcide is Erick’s friend who went to Grambling at the same time as him. Erick, Alcide & Chris are all fraternity brothers in Alpha Phi Alpha.

“It was just a matter of hosting a call with all of them and saying here’s the vision and seeing how many people wanted to join in on the journey, and those are the people who signed up to join the ride.”

After putting the group together, Jackson and Harris talked to Derrick Warren, Dean of GSU’s College of Business, who directed them to talk to GSU Vice President for University Advancement and Innovation Brandon A. Logan.

“I explained to Brandon I had some people who wanted to do an endowment with me and that we would commit to $50,000 over five years,” Jackson said. “What I told the folks while asking them to do this is that it’s no different than tithing at church or doing a charitable tax write-off to give back to students. With me coming from Harlem (New York), if it wasn’t for Grambling, I wouldn’t be in the situation I am today.

“And a lot of us come from underserved communities. So, I said to them, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to give back to our school?” And everyone was like, that’s a great idea. So, I talked with Brandon, explained our vision, and now we’re already at over $10,000 two months within our commitment date of August to start funding. And Dr. Warren said he would put a plaque on the wall for us and do something similar to FAMU, and then Brandon said they would do something like FAMU does during a football season by bringing us out on the field for a check presentation during a Homecoming game.”

Jackson said it’s remembering the struggle to start their way up the corporate ladder that helped spark the creation of the GramFam College of Business Endowment.

“Erick and I joke all that time that students from Grambling have great analytical skills,” Jackson said. “And the reason why I say that is because, most of the time, when you go to Grambling, you come from an underserved community and you’re part of a struggle that’s really tough. At Grambling, we all know the struggles together. So, for me, when I went into ‘Corporate America,’ I was already set up to handle the pressure. Coming from Grambling, you have a ‘don’t give up’ attitude. The College of Business made us that much stronger.

“We know the struggle of being a student there. We know the struggle of paying off those student loans, But we’re all Grambling proud. I’m from Harlem in New York City. I never thought I’d be at Grambling. But by me going there and getting my education there, that has affected and improved my life tremendously.”

Hooper agrees that it’s facing and defeating the challenges she has faced in her life that made helping establish the College of Business endowment so important to her.

“I come from humble beginnings and have faced extreme misfortune,” Hooper said. “A college fund wasn’t available to me, and college prep wasn’t a priority when my family was dealing with evictions, and at times, a lack of food, water, and electricity. Despite those challenges, I believed then and still believe now that honest work is good work and that when you do good, good comes. I arrived at GSU knowing that my success was in my own hands, and that college would be my catalyst for a better life. That meant earning good grades, taking on work-study jobs, waitressing at Chili’s in Monroe, and securing internships. I graduated summa cum laude with a 3.98 GPA, completed four internships, and spent nearly three years working at Chili’s — weekdays, weekends, and late nights, except Homecoming, of course. My hard work paid off when I secured a solid job at Philip Morris in Chicago right after graduation.

“Because of my journey, I understand what it means to work hard despite limited resources. That’s why I’m committed to giving back through the GramFam College of Business Endowment — so that other students, regardless of their financial situation, have access to the opportunities and support they need to succeed. GSU gave me the foundation to build a successful career, and now, I want to help ensure that same foundation is available to the next generation of Grambling business students.”

Harris said that getting fellow GSU alums to remember those early struggles is something he hopes establishing the College of Business will make happen.

“There is an opportunity for the Grambling family to truly understand what it means to perpetuate power,” Harris said. “That’s something I’ve studied when I locate groups that go to other HBCUs, particularly those on the East Coast that have a tremendous culture of giving back and giving back not only your time but also financially.

“When I look at the wealthy, when I look at Republicans, when I look at the Jewish people and look at the people who come to America from India and become successful in business, I realize we can and should do more for Grambling but we have to understand what it means to perpetuate power — patronizing each other, helping each other out, not only with money but with knowledge. Pulling people to the side and helping people realize that if someone is doing that for you, then you have to do your part. You can’t just think just because you’re a Gramblinite someone should give you something or include you — you have to demonstrate that you’re worthy of it as well.”