The NEED Podcast

From Tragedy to Triumph: How NEED Has Changed 48,000 Lives Since 1963

• Dr. Marcia Sturdivant • Episode 1

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Meet the Host: Dr. Marcia Sturdivant, President and CEO of NEED

From tragedy springs hope. When civil rights icon Medgar Evers was assassinated in 1963, Pittsburgh resident Marion Gordon transformed her grief into action, founding NEED to fulfill Evers' dream of college access for African American students. Nearly six decades later, this remarkable organization has provided over $50 million in scholarships to more than 48,000 students across Western Pennsylvania.

Dr. Marcia Sturdivant, NEED's President and CEO, shares the organization's origin story with passion and purpose. What began with a fundraising dinner that sent 76 students to college has blossomed into an educational cornerstone, celebrated annually at their signature scholarship event where hundreds gather to honor student excellence. Rather than traditional marketing, NEED relies on its sterling reputation and a powerful ambassador program where alumni share personal testimonies about how educational access changed their lives.

The podcast features one such testimony from Lamar Blackwell, now an executive director of an educational nonprofit. Growing up surrounded by poverty and violence, Lamar credits NEED with connecting him to an "ecosystem of success" that revealed possibilities beyond his circumstances. His story exemplifies the organization's profound impact: creating pathways where none existed before.

Dr. Sturdivant's leadership philosophy centers on community responsibility and paying forward the help she once received. "There's no greater feeling than to have someone come to you in need of help and then you're able to see that they have resolved their situations later on," she reflects. Between scholarship work, Dr. Sturdivant enjoys quiet reading, theater, movies, and even thrifting – finding hidden treasures much like she does in the potential of every student NEED supports.

Ready to unlock the power of education? Contact NEED today and become part of a six-decade legacy of transforming lives through educational opportunity. Your support continues the mission that began in response to tragedy but has flourished into a powerful force for positive change.

To learn more about NEED visit:
https://www.NEEDLD.org
NEED
429 Fourth Avenue, 20th FL, Suite 2000
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412-566-2760



Speaker 1:

Welcome to the NEED Podcast highlighting students, partners and advocates Presented by NEED and hosted by Dr Marcia Sturtevant, president and CEO. This series highlights the impact of mentoring, philanthropy and collaborative partnerships that empower students' triumphant entry into, and progression through higher education. Whether you're applying for scholarships or supporting the mission, you'll find insights that inform, inspire and empower.

Speaker 2:

Welcome everyone. I'm Lila Carter, co-host and producer here in the studio with Dr Marcia Sturtevant, president and CEO of NEED. Dr Sturtevant, how's it going?

Speaker 3:

It's going great, thank you.

Speaker 2:

Over the years you've grown a remarkable following. However, some listeners might not be familiar with your full journey. Let's take it from the top. Could you share a little background about your company and what you do?

Speaker 3:

Could you share a little background about your company and what you do?

Speaker 3:

Sure, we began in 1963 as a result of the unrest that was occurring across the country at the time around integrating colleges and universities.

Speaker 3:

And a lady from Pittsburgh by the name of Marion Gordon heard that Medgar Evers, who is an icon in our history, had been assassinated and she had worked with Mr Evers on things such as education, voting rights and what have you. And the night that he was assassinated, of course, she was so distraught she said we're going to keep Medgar Evers dream alive of sending African-American students to college. And that began an advocacy group here in Pittsburgh and Mary enjoyed and called everyone that she could, and people from all over the country convened in Pittsburgh and held a dinner to raise money so that children could go on to college. And during that year of 1963, NEED was able to raise enough money to send 76 students, aspiring college students, to college. And we have continued in that vein ever since. We have over 48,000 students who have been supported by NEED and we've given out over $50 million in scholarship support to make college a reality for Western Pennsylvania students.

Speaker 2:

What a remarkable story. And we know marketing is the key to any business's success. How do you market your business?

Speaker 3:

Well, luckily for us, the length of time that we have been around, that we are the icon of scholarships for minority students, so there's not a lot of marketing that we have to do, but as new generations come on and keep coming, of course we continue to advertise what's available and our work Yearly. We have an annual scholarship dinner that garners about 600 individuals that we gather here to highlight. We have a camera of our students that have performed tremendously, like the best and the brightest. We award them scholarships. It's like our what I would say our Hollywood Oscar event, where we pull out the red carpet and highlight these students.

Speaker 3:

We also have ambassadors for need that go out into the community and speak, need to go out into the community, speak, and these are alum who go out to the community and speak to others about need, as well as help us with fundraising for need and telling our story, which is so very important, and if you want to hear more about our story, we're certainly on that. Information is on our website. So primarily it's word of mouth, which is always great. We have several events. I just talked about one of them, the annual need scholarship dinner, and then we have people who were former recipients that are our need, ambassadors that help highlight, wherever they are, the work of need.

Speaker 2:

Very good. And when you're not busy running your business, what do you do for fun?

Speaker 3:

Oh, okay, fun. Is that supposed to happen? Yes, well, I enjoy. I enjoy this work, so it's not. It's work, but it's not work. Because I enjoy seeing young people thrive and get ahead. But when I'm not here at the office, I'm usually quietly reading a book. I love the theater and the movie industry, so I'm often at one of those places where I'm listening or watching a movie, analyzing a movie. You know what else I like? I like thrifting. I like to go and just rummage through other people's stuff to see what might be their subtreasures and finds. It's just relaxing to do that.

Speaker 2:

Dr Sturdivant, you're a very busy person In your words. Why are you doing this?

Speaker 3:

Someone helped me and I think we have a responsibility as a community to help others. Every walk of life you have that you're in. We should always try to help those who may not have the same opportunities as yourself, may not have the same opportunities as yourself. I've always worked in nonprofit organizations. That service was to help those who are challenged, maybe by poverty, mental health or behavioral health, maybe educationally challenged or marginalized other ways. But there's no greater feeling than to have someone come to you in need of help and then you're able to see that they have resolved their situations later on. I've had examples of young people that I worked with in a number of different institutions, I should say, or systems, and have later found that, oh, they're doing just okay and I feel that I had a part in that. And in fact some of them I've employed where at one time there was no hope or sense of optimism, and now they're either employing, you know, with me or somewhere else, and that's why I do it.

Speaker 2:

Very good, I love that, dr Sturdivant, we'll catch you in the next episode where we'll dive into some frequently asked questions. Have a fantastic rest of your day.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much. Rest of your day. Thank you so much. Email needpgh at gmailcom or call 412-566-2760. Need unlocking the power of education for students, families and the future of our region.

Speaker 4:

Hello, my name is Lamar Blackwell. I currently am an executive director of an educational nonprofit organization, but, more importantly, I am an alum of the NEED organization. The NEED organization has changed my life. Let me tell you how.

Speaker 4:

Most executive leaders don't know what it's like to wake up every morning and walk to school and see their neighbors self-medicating because they're trying to escape the social ills of their environment.

Speaker 4:

Most executive leaders don't know what it's like, as a 13 year old child, to lay down every night and be scared to death that a stray bullet might come shattering through their window. A stray bullet might come shattering through their window. Most executive leaders don't know what it's like to see some of their closest friends leading a life of self-destruction because they're not connected to an ecosystem of success or an organization that is investing in their development and in their education by way of taking them outside of their communities to colleges to see individuals who look like themselves succeed on a level that many would think to be unthinkable. A young African-American male growing up in one of the lowest income environments got a chance to experience what poverty looked like and experience what possibility looked like, and if it had not been for the need organization, I would have never had that opportunity and would have never changed the trajectory of my life.