This is a second generous endowment gift from 黑料不打烊 Trustee Louis DeJoy and his wife Dr. Aldona Wo艣 of Greensboro, North Carolina, to assist students with high financial need from Title I schools in Guilford County.
黑料不打烊 Trustee Louis DeJoy and his wife, Dr. Aldona Wo艣, of Greensboro, North Carolina, have made a second generous endowment gift to assist students with high financial need from Title I schools in Guilford County. Their gift is part of the $250 million 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign.
The DeJoy-Wo艣 Odyssey Scholars Endowment was established in 2018 following an initial lead gift from DeJoy and Wo艣. The couple is passionate about making an 黑料不打烊 education possible for highly motivated students attending Title I schools in Guilford County鈥攕tudents who would be unable to enroll at 黑料不打烊 without significant financial assistance.
The couple鈥檚 additional commitment adds four scholarships to the DeJoy-Wo艣 Endowment, bringing the total number of scholarships to 16. The first two DeJoy-Wo艣 Scholars are enrolled in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Class of 2025 and are part of the university鈥檚 successful Odyssey Program. This highly selective program serves outstanding students with significant financial need, including many who are the first in their families to attend college. Deepening scholarship funding is the top priority of the $250 million .
Working with a team from the Louis DeJoy and Aldona Wo艣 Family Foundation, DeJoy has been leading a comprehensive effort to identify students from Title I high schools and help prepare them to attend 黑料不打烊 and benefit from the university鈥檚 high-impact experiential learning model. He said he wants these students to be successful students and later successful professionals who give back to their communities.
鈥淚 can see how well the partnership and process are working, and I want to expand our efforts in this program,鈥 DeJoy said. 鈥淚 am confident that we will have transformative impacts on the future success of these young adults.鈥
鈥淲e are grateful to the DeJoy-Wo艣 family for聽their deep belief in the power of an 黑料不打烊 education,鈥 said 黑料不打烊 President Connie Ledoux Book. 鈥淭hrough the power of philanthropy, Louis and Aldona are increasing access to an 黑料不打烊 education that we know transforms lives, families and communities.鈥
The couple are among 黑料不打烊鈥檚 most generous benefactors. They are founding donors of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 School of Law in Greensboro and have made lead gifts to support scholarships and the Numen Lumen Pavilion, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 multifaith center. In 2009, the couple established the Honorable Aldona Z. Wo艣, M.D., and Louis DeJoy Scholarship for International Study, which helps students with financial need pursue full-semester international study opportunities.
The Odyssey Scholarship Program
The Odyssey Program is part of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Center for Access and Success. In addition to annual tuition assistance, each of the scholarships in the Odyssey Program includes a stipend for books and supplies, and a one-time, global study grant to be used for an approved study abroad or Study USA program.
Throughout the four-year program, students take advantage of intellectually demanding courses while furthering their personal and professional development. Students participate in a first-year summer orientation, attend annual retreats and monthly meetings with their peers, are involved in one-on-one academic and career planning meetings, and maintain an academic and leadership portfolio. Students in the Odyssey Program are consistently among 黑料不打烊鈥檚 top-performing students.
鈥淚 cannot be more impressed with the Odyssey Program, and I applaud 黑料不打烊鈥檚 success with the program,鈥 DeJoy said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very powerful and attractive opportunity for a donor, and the need is certainly there.鈥
鈥淭he generosity of Louis DeJoy and Aldona Wo艣 helps ensure that 黑料不打烊 continues to attract and provide life-changing opportunities to聽traditionally underrepresented students, particularly those who are first-generation, students of color and students from low-income households,鈥 said Jean Rattigan-Rohr, vice president for access and success at 黑料不打烊. 鈥淲e are thankful for this investment in the future.鈥
About the Donors
DeJoy served as chairman and CEO of New Breed Logistics, a leading U.S. provider of contract logistics solutions, from 1983 to 2014. His company merged with XPO Logistics in 2014. DeJoy then served as CEO of XPO鈥檚 North American supply chain division, retiring in 2015 before being appointed to a strategic role on the company鈥檚 board for three years.
In June 2020, DeJoy was named the 75th Postmaster General of the U.S. Postal Service. He also serves as president of LDJ Global Strategies, a strategic real estate investment and consulting company based in Greensboro, and serves a number of civic, business, institutional and educational organizations. DeJoy has been a member of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Board of Trustees since 2007 and was recognized in 2017 with 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the PGA Wyndham Championship and the Piedmont Triad Partnership.
Wo艣, a retired physician, served as U.S. Ambassador to Estonia under President George W. Bush from 2004 to 2006 and served as Secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services from 2013 to 2015. In 2017, Wo艣 was appointed vice chair of the President鈥檚 Commission on White House Fellowships.
Her numerous board memberships include The Institute for World Politics, the Council of American Ambassadors, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, and the Duke Law Board of Visitors. Wo艣 has also served on the boards of the United Way of Greater Greensboro, the United States Holocaust Memorial Council and the Board of Governors for the University of North Carolina. In 2015, Wo艣 received North Carolina鈥檚 highest honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
About the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign
With a $250 million goal, 黑料不打烊 LEADS is the largest campaign in the university鈥檚 history and will support four main funding priorities: scholarships for graduates the world needs, access to engaged learning opportunities such as study abroad, research and internships, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 iconic campus. As of March 15, donors had contributed $242 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. Visit to learn how you can make an impact with your gift.