Troy University alumna Laura Ward credits Troy University with providing her with the leadership and communication skills that have served her throughout her career.
Now, the 1982 double major in broadcast journalism and dramatic arts is helping TROY students form that same strong foundation through the establishment of the Claude K. and Diana K. Ward Endowed Scholarship.
The scholarship will assist students majoring in communications on the Troy Campus with first preference going to a female student from Elmore County with financial need. If there are no applicants from Elmore County, the scholarship may be awarded to any communications major, male or female.
“I am originally from Elmore County, and I’m sure that there are a lot of young people who would like to attend college and have the same opportunities that I’ve had. I have always wanted to give back and help someone else who is looking for that little bit of help to accomplish that goal, and now I’m at the point in my life where I have the ability to do so,” Ward said. “I wanted to be able to honor my parents by establishing this scholarship in their name because they wanted to make sure, above all else, that I got my education.”
Ward got her first taste of the college experience when she accompanied her older sister on a campus visit to TROY.
“That was really my first exposure to what college was all about,” she said. “So, when it was time to make my own decision, I didn’t really apply anywhere else. I just applied to Troy.”
Ward took advantage of the many opportunities TROY afforded her to become involved in campus life and hone her leadership skills. She was a member of the color guard in the Sound of the South marching band during her first year, was active in a sorority, served as an orientation leader, and, during her junior year, was editor of the Palladium yearbook.
“I got there to TROY, and I was happy, comfortable, and settled,” she said. “I enjoyed the experience. I just immersed myself in everything and just loved the culture and the experience, and I loved being on a campus that size.”
Following graduation, Ward joined the U.S. Marine Corps.
“I looked at multiple branches of the military, but I was really interested in joining the Marine Corps, specifically,” she said. “I got accepted, and once I graduated, I headed to Quantico, Virginia, for Officer Candidate School. I spent four years on active duty as a public affairs officer stationed in Atlanta, then spent 20 years in the Reserves while simultaneously running my civilian career in retail.”
Over time, as her retail work began employing the use of inventory software, Ward became intrigued and eventually transitioned to the software business, spending the last 30 years of her career working in the field of enterprise software.
Now, Ward, who also earned a Master of Business Administration from TROY in 2001, finds herself back in the role of a student, pursuing her master’s degree in public relations.
“I had to introduce myself for the master’s program, and my first line was basically that life is not a straight line,” she said. “There are a lot of pivots and twists and turns that happen throughout your life. I never thought that a degree in journalism and drama would lead me to software and technology, but it did.”
Ward said her undergraduate studies provided a solid foundation for her future, even though she didn’t use her degree in a more traditional career path.
“It was a great background because communication is critical no matter what industry you’re in,” she said. “When I was implementing and selling software, you had to be able to talk to people. When I did software demonstrations, which can be pretty dry and boring, to a room of anywhere from 20 to 100 people, you have to be able to keep their interest and entertain them. So, drama and journalism may not have been the perfect degree for what my career wound up being, but it seemed to work out pretty well.”
Ward hopes the scholarship will not only help students achieve their educational goals at TROY but also assist them in forming the leadership and communication skills that will benefit them throughout their lifetimes.
“All of those leadership opportunities I had at Troy really were the foundation for what the leadership opportunities I have experienced at various points throughout my career,” she said. “I hope this scholarship will help students have the same type of experience.”
