MSU freshman wins ‘free’ tuition drawing for spring semester

Tuition drawing winner Russell S. Young of Pensacola, Florida, holds a large check while standing with members of the MSU Alumni Delegates organization.
Tuition drawing winner Russell S. Young, center, of Pensacola, Florida, surrounded by members of the MSU Alumni Delegates organization. (Photo by Megan Bean)

Contact: Ashleigh Lee

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Russell S. Young, a freshman from Pensacola, Florida, is the winner of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association’s 16th tuition drawing. 

The mechanical engineering major in MSU’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering will receive free, full-time tuition (12 credit hours) for the 2022 spring semester. 

“It’s such a nice surprise to have the winning ticket,” Young said. “This will help me tremendously with student debt and my future to enlist in the Marines after graduation. I feel like a great stress is lifted off my shoulders as I continue my education here at State.” 

Young’s ticket, purchased by his parents, Nancy and Charles Young, was one of more than 3,500 tickets sold by the Alumni Delegates—the association’s student organization—offering MSU students a chance to win one semester of free in-state tuition. Eligible students include any undergraduate enrolled full time at the university. This semester, the Alumni Delegates raised more than $20,000 from tickets purchased by parents of eligible students. 

The Alumni Association is proud of this tradition it has built in the past eight years as it aims to connect parents and students with MSU and the association.   

“The tuition drawing strengthens bonds between our university, students, parents and alumni,” said Jeff Davis, executive director of the Alumni Association. “We can positively affect the student experience while fostering a spirit of support and generosity. The additional funds raised support scholarship and priority programs within our association.”  

Founded in 1980, the Alumni Delegates is a diverse group of students serving as liaisons between the 143-year-old institution and its more than 155,000 living graduates. Members assist with organizational programs and activities on behalf of the association, such as football tailgate gatherings, class reunions and the association’s annual awards banquet and leadership conference. 

The MSU Alumni Association anticipates ticket sales in the upcoming spring for the drawing of a fall 2022 winner. For more information about the tuition drawing, contact Jordan Ramsey, the association’s associate director and Alumni Delegates advisor, at 662-325-7000 or jramsey@alumni.msstate.edu.  

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.