UA Little Rock Alumnus Joins Enduring Opportunity with $25,000 Scholarship Gift
UA Little Rock alumnus Rodney M. Abston has committed a $25,000 gift to establish the Rodney M. Abston Family Enduring Opportunity Scholarship, becoming the latest donor to join the growing wave of support for the university’s Enduring Opportunity Scholarship Program.
His scholarship will support students who are balancing jobs, coursework, and financial challenges, and whose determination mirrors Abston’s own experience as a graduate student at UA Little Rock.
“The Enduring Opportunity Program resonates with me because it directly helps students working hard to pursue their dreams,” Abston said. “For students juggling a job while attending classes and struggling to make ends meet, this scholarship is a difference maker—allowing them to focus on their studies, make the most of their college experience, and obtain their degree.”
Abston, who earned his MBA while working full-time and raising an infant son, recalls the financial pressures he faced and the support that helped him succeed.
“At the time, money was especially tight for our young family. I borrowed my tuition payment at the start of every semester and paid it down as I could,” he said. “I worked a full-time job, took a full load of night courses, and was committed to being a present father. My goal was to provide my children with every opportunity my parents had provided to my three brothers and me.”
The newly established scholarship also honors his family’s vital role in his academic journey.
“My family served as a key driver when I enrolled in the MBA program, and they were instrumental in me finishing the program,” Abston said. “I’m incredibly grateful to my parents and my wife, Tracy, for supporting my dreams. I’m also grateful to my Regions teammates for their support throughout my nearly 20-year career with the bank.”
Abston sees each scholarship as a way to support Arkansas and its workforce.
“Each scholarship is an investment in its recipient, and it’s also an investment in the lives that student will serve as a future teacher, nurse, civil engineer, or business leader in our community,” he said. “The lasting impact touches thousands of lives, including future UA Little Rock students.”
The Enduring Opportunity Scholarship Program began this spring with a transformational $7.5 million gift from the Windgate Foundation to create both an endowment and immediate-use funds that support access to affordable, high-quality education for Arkansas students forever.
Abston hopes his gift will inspire fellow alumni and community members to reflect on their own UA Little Rock experiences and consider giving back.
“Life changed dramatically for me following graduation,” he said. “I credit the outstanding academic programs, the connections I had with professors, and the lasting friendships I made while studying at UA Little Rock. Helping shape it for our next generation of students is my why. I invite and encourage others to join me in doing the same by lending their support.”
To make a lasting commitment to student opportunity, please contact Stephanie Purifoy at 501-773-6955 or email [email protected].