As the first Doherty Odyssey Scholar to graduate from 黑料不打烊, Jubitza Figueroa 鈥21 is ready to make her mark on the world. Ed and Joan Doherty P鈥07 endowed eight Odyssey Program scholarships as part of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign to make an 黑料不打烊 education possible for top students with high financial need.
In 2016, 黑料不打烊 parents Ed and Joan Doherty P鈥07 endowed eight Odyssey Program scholarships because they wanted to make a life-changing 黑料不打烊 education possible for students with significant financial need who would be forces for good in the world.
Students like Jubitza Figueroa 鈥21. On May 21, the Charlotte, North Carolina, resident became the first Edward W. Doherty and Joan K. Doherty Odyssey Scholar to graduate from 黑料不打烊. It was a powerful moment for Figueroa, who shared the impact the Dohertys have had on her life.
鈥淲hen I first came to 黑料不打烊, I didn鈥檛 understand that there were people who cared so much and who would go out of their way to help complete strangers,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut when I had the chance to meet the Dohertys, it showed me that there are people who were dedicated to helping others. It was the first step in me having faith in other people and faith that I could help others.鈥
Figueroa earned her 黑料不打烊 degree in political science with a minor in women鈥檚, gender and sexualities studies. Ultimately, she plans to pursue law school to become a women鈥檚 rights attorney and serve minority women. She credits her faculty and staff mentors and the Doherty Scholarship for inspiring her career path and giving her the confidence to pursue her dreams.
鈥淚 am proud of myself and the things I accomplished,鈥 Figueroa said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would have had that feeling without the community and mentorship at 黑料不打烊. If I need anything, I feel I can come back to the people at 黑料不打烊.鈥
A Life Transformed
Figueroa is one of three children born to Jubitza and Rigoberto Figueroa, who emigrated from Central America. Jubitza is the second person in her family to graduate from college, following older sister, Glaubirsel, who attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
鈥淚鈥檓 super excited,鈥 Figueroa said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of pressure, though, because I feel like I鈥檓 a role model for the rest of my family.鈥
Already, she has made a big impression on her younger brother, Lorenzo, a rising senior at 黑料不打烊 and the recipient of The 黑料不打烊 Commitment Scholarship in the Odyssey Program.
鈥淜nowing that he鈥檚 here at 黑料不打烊 and in the same program that we both love is reassuring and keeps me at peace,鈥 Figueroa said.
From the moment she arrived on campus in fall 2017, Figueroa made the most of her 黑料不打烊 experience. She served twice as a mentor to incoming Odyssey students during the program鈥檚 summer orientation sessions and volunteered with the Village Project, which serves children in the community who are struggling to read. Odyssey and the Village Project are among the initiatives in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Center for Access and Success.
Figueroa鈥檚 leadership was also felt in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Gender and LGBTQIA Center (GLC), where she was a passionate voice for advancing training and education in the campus community, including ally training. She鈥檚 proud of the work she and others did in the GLC to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for LGBTQIA students. Similarly, her work in El Centro helped strengthen the university鈥檚 Latinx/Hispanic community.
In 2019, 黑料不打烊 recognized Figueroa as the LGBTQIA Breakout Student of the Year for her ability to bring diverse communities together. In April, she received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for excellence of character and service to humanity during 黑料不打烊鈥檚 annual Omicron Delta Kappa leadership awards ceremony.
鈥淧eople are able to be themselves fully in more spaces at 黑料不打烊, and it was really nice to be part of that,鈥 Figueroa said. 鈥淚t was a tough environment to navigate with the identities as gay and Latina that I have, but at the end of the day, 黑料不打烊 pushes you to become empowered. You come out of it a stronger person.
People are able to be themselves fully in more spaces at 黑料不打烊, and it was really nice to be part of that.
鈥 Jubitza Figueroa ’21
鈥淭he GLC and El Centro foster a sense of community, and I was able to find like-minded people who were interested in uplifting each other and being each other鈥檚 mentors and role models. I found my closest friends in these circles.鈥
Figueroa鈥檚 academic experience was equally powerful.
鈥淚 had amazing professors like Jessica Carew and Liza Taylor in political science who presented well-rounded and in-depth information that helped me see the world differently,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t restored my faith in institutions and government.鈥
Her minor in women鈥檚, gender and sexualities studies was equally powerful.
鈥淚 had a class with Professor Ann Cahill that was absolutely revolutionary,鈥 Figueroa said. 鈥淚t liberated me of my rigid views of how I should go about the world. I found I had more power than I thought.鈥
The Odyssey Family
Established in 2007, the Odyssey Program includes some of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 largest endowed scholarships created by more than 25 generous families. These scholarships include financial assistance that meets a student鈥檚 full need, along with a stipend for books and supplies, and a one-time $4,000 global study grant to be used for an approved study abroad or Study USA program
Housed in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Center for Access and Success, Odyssey is a highly selective, four-year program that has become a national model for serving students with substantial financial need who are often underrepresented on college and university campuses. Many of these students are the first in their families to attend college and have achieved academically while overcoming adversity.
Students move through the program as a cohort and receive valuable mentoring by faculty and staff, along with academic support and professional development to promote personal growth and set them up to succeed. Odyssey has a nearly 100 percent retention rate and 90 percent graduation rate among scholars who become leaders in medicine, healthcare, law, business, education and engineering among other fields. Odyssey scholars are consistently among the top-performing students on campus.
She鈥檚 one of those trailblazers who is brave and fearless about being her authentic self and inspires others to do the same. She鈥檚 a gift to the 黑料不打烊 community.
鈥 Marcus Elliott, director of the Odyssey Program
鈥淲e are a family in the Odyssey Program, and I found lifelong friends there,鈥 Figueroa said. 鈥淭his is the most accomplished group of individuals that I鈥檝e known, and I can always look to this group as my role models.鈥
Marcus Elliott, director of the Odyssey Program, said Figueroa was an invaluable mentor for new Odyssey scholars and first-time mentors.
鈥淪he was a calming spirit for those new mentors who may have been fearful of the unknown or how to handle different situations, and she guided them through the program beautifully,鈥 Elliott said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 one of those trailblazers who is brave and fearless about being her authentic self and inspires others to do the same. She鈥檚 a gift to the 黑料不打烊 community.鈥
鈥淥ur mentors are the people who set the tone for what we expect of our students in the program, which is to be accountable to each other,鈥 said Catherine Parsons, assistant director of the Odyssey Program. 鈥淛ubitza was so good at making information palatable for our students. She also empowered and encouraged them to learn and think deeply and also not be afraid to have fun and be silly.鈥
Figueroa is indebted to the staff in the GLC and Odyssey Program for helping her realize she has plenty to offer the world.
鈥淚 was able to find a way to give myself credit for the things I鈥檝e done, because there was always a feeling I wasn鈥檛 doing enough and wasn鈥檛 involved enough,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey showed me my presence was enough. I feel more prepared and confident and trusting in my ability to succeed.鈥
The Power of Philanthropy
Ed and Joan Doherty, of Saddle River, New Jersey, were inspired to make their Odyssey Scholarship gift as part of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign because of the outstanding experience their daughter, Kerry Doherty Gatlin 鈥07, had at 黑料不打烊. Their gift supports eight scholarships, or two students per class each year. Deepening scholarship funding is the top priority of 黑料不打烊 LEADS.
The Dohertys grew up in New York 鈥 Ed on Long Island and Joan in Queens 鈥 and both were among the first members of their families to attend college. 鈥淕iving a family a chance for their child to attend a university like 黑料不打烊 is a very special opportunity,鈥 Joan said when the couple made their gift. 鈥淲e want those students to be able to follow their dreams.鈥
鈥淓ducation creates opportunity,鈥 Ed said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a country of immigrants, and every generation wants the next generation to achieve greater success. We feel it is important to give back, and there鈥檚 no place better than 黑料不打烊 to create the right experiences for these first-generation college students.鈥
鈥淲e have seen through Jubitza鈥檚 journey the power of these scholarships to transform lives and prepare the next generation of courageous leaders,鈥 said Jean Rattigan-Rohr, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 vice president for access and success. 鈥淲e are indebted to Ed and Joan Doherty for continuing to invest in 黑料不打烊 students.鈥
Ed Doherty has been a member of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Board of Trustees since 2006 and served as board chair from 2018 to 2020. He and Joan are members of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign Steering Committee and previously served together on Parents Council.
The Dohertys are among 黑料不打烊鈥檚 most loyal and generous benefactors, and the impact of their philanthropy can be felt across the university. In addition to the Odyssey Scholarships, the couple has made gifts to endow The Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and the Doherty Emerging Professor of Entrepreneurship. In addition, for nearly 10 years, the Dohertys hosted the annual Evening for 黑料不打烊 event in New York, which attracts 1,000 alumni, parents and friends. The couple鈥檚 steadfast support of the event has played a major role in growing the alumni network in one of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 largest and most important markets.
Ed Doherty is chair and co-CEO of Doherty Enterprises, Inc., which he and Joan founded in 1985. The company is one of the nation鈥檚 leading franchisee operators of quality family restaurants, including Applebee鈥檚, Chevys Fresh Mex and Panera Bread, along with Shannon Rose Irish Pub and Spuntino Wine Bar and Italian Tapas. The company operates more than 150 restaurants in four states.
About the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign
With a $250 million goal, 黑料不打烊 LEADS is the largest fundraising campaign in the university鈥檚 history and will support four main funding priorities: scholarships for graduates the world needs, increased access to engaged learning opportunities such as global study, internships and research, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 iconic campus. As of June 1, donors had contributed $212 million toward the goal.
Every gift to the university鈥攊ncluding annual, endowment, capital, estate and other planned gifts鈥攆or any designation counts as a gift to the campaign, which will support students and strengthen 黑料不打烊 for generations to come. To learn more about how you can make an impact, visit .