DAYTONA BEACH – In observance of their matriarch’s 84th birthday, a well-known Orlando family has launched the Cecily Crossman Literary Endowed Scholarship at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach.
Crossman – a consultant, platform speaker and writer – is a longtime supporter of the historically black university, according to her son, John Crossman, CEO of Crossman Career Builders.
“To celebrate her birthday on Dec. 18 we ask that in lieu of gifts colleagues, friends and acquaintances make a donation to the scholarship in her name,” said John Crossman, whose father, the late Rev. Kenneth Crossman, was a long-time local pastor and a leader in the Civil Rights movement. The family’s first endowment fund was established in memory of him in 2004.
Mrs. Crossman also is the author of New Day, a book of sharp, hard-hitting poems depicting the turbulent decades of the ‘60s and ‘70s that led to a formative time for women and minorities, her son said, adding that those decades also helped define his mother.
“Mom is a published author and lifelong supporter of B-CU. Please consider supporting so that we can encourage others to follow in her footsteps.” For more information or to make a donation, please visit https://cookman.scalefunder.com/cfund/project/34500.
~ ~ ~
For more information about this release, please contact:
John Crossman, president, Crossman Career Builders, 407-794-9393 or jcrossman@crossmancb.com.
Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-461-3781 or beth@larryvershel.com.
About Bethune Cookman University: Founded in 1904 by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) continues her legacy of faith, scholarship and service through a relationship with the United Methodist Church and its commitment to academic excellence and civic engagement. Born in 1875 on a farm in South Carolina, Bethune was the 15th child of former slaves. With a mission to help others, Bethune never gave up her dream. To honor her, an 11-foot-tall marble statue of Mary McLeod Bethune was unveiled inside the U.S. Capitol building in July.
Located in Daytona Beach, B-CU is one of three private, historically black colleges in Florida. The institution has a diverse and international faculty and student body of more than 4,000. For more information, visit www.cookman.edu.