This has been a great year for students at Morehouse College. And media mogul and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey just made it even better. Winfrey donated an additional $13 million to the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program at the all-male Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Monday, reported 11 Alive.
The donation brings Winfrey’s total gift to Morehouse to $25 million, the largest scholarship endowment in school history, officials said. Winfrey made the surprise announcement while on the Atlanta campus to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her first gift of $12 million.
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During the visit, the school unveiled an oil portrait to honor Winfrey for her support. She spoke to 47 men who are Oprah Winfrey Scholars, whom she affectionately calls her “sons.”
According to reports, Winfrey’s scholarship has helped over 600 students since it was first implemented in 1989. Her latest gift comes after billionaire Robert F. Smith paid off the student loan debt off Morehouse’s Class of 2019 and the school established a program to help eliminate student debt.
“Seeing you young Oprah Winfrey Scholars here today has moved me deeply. I am so proud of you,” Winfrey told the students. “I’m proud of everybody in attendance at this school who is seeking to know more clearly who you are, the value you hold and how you will share that value with the rest of the world.”
