Elizabeth City, N.C. — More than $415,000 in check presentations from reunion classes and individual donors highlighted Elizabeth City State University’s (ECSU) 2026 Homecoming weekend, showcasing alumni and supporters’ continued investment in the university and the next generation of Vikings.
During Homecoming, themed “The Viral Viking: Era of the Influencer,” three reunion classes and three individual donors presented checks totaling $415,970.41, showing a commitment to helping ECSU support students and advance its mission.
The Class of 1976 presented $116,009.50, followed by the Class of 1981 with $114,652 and the Class of 1996 with $35,308.91.
Individual donors also made significant contributions. Attorney Robert T. Perry, Dr. Paul and Trustee Patricia Norman, and Mr. Lawrence and Mrs. Shirleen Parker each presented $50,000, bringing their combined contributions to $150,000.
The presentations were among the highlights of a Homecoming weekend that brought Vikings together to celebrate their shared history while investing in the university’s future.
Beyond the check presentations, alumni giving and fundraising efforts extended throughout the week, including the university’s National Alumni Association Annual Pageant and Fundraiser, which raised $71,382 for student scholarships.
This year’s Ms. Alumni was Angela Doles-Quattlebaum ’85, and the court included Britney Riddick ’03, Fredryn Jenkins ’85 and Arlinda Halfacre ’91.
Representing the association’s Portsmouth, Virginia chapter, Doles-Quattlebaum raised $27,000—more than a third of the fundraiser’s total. She was crowned Miss Alumni Oct. 8 at a coronation in the K.E. White Graduate Center.
Doles-Quattlebaum credited her chapter members with helping make the fundraising effort possible, emphasizing the importance of collective action.
“It takes more than one person to raise that kind of money,” she said.
The Portsmouth chapter organized dinners, a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction. Doles-Quattlebaum also sought donations of auction items from Walmart, Lowe’s and Home Depot, while chapter members contributed their own money to support the cause.
The generosity displayed throughout Homecoming also extended to the university’s annual Scholarship Brunch Oct. 9. The ECSU Foundation hosted the event to recognize donors whose contributions helped fund 474 scholarships totaling $744,996.11 for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The brunch gives donors an opportunity to connect with scholarship recipients and see firsthand how their support helps students pursue their education and professional goals. Many of the university’s supporters are alumni or alumni families who use Homecoming to reconnect with ECSU and reaffirm their commitment to its future.
Over the years, ECSU’s Scholarship Brunch has gone by different names, but gratitude remains at its core.
The ECSU Foundation, which receives and manages charitable gifts supporting the university and its students, also provided an additional one-time gift of $300,000 to support university programs, including athletics, the jazz and marching bands, adult learning and GAP funding.
Together, the check presentations, scholarship support and alumni-led fundraising reveal the many ways Vikings and friends of the university contribute to student success.
Whether through reunion-class giving, individual contributions, established endowments, planned gifts or fundraising initiatives, these investments help ease the financial demands of earning a degree and strengthen opportunities for future generations.
Behind every scholarship is someone who believes a student’s future is worth the investment. As ECSU celebrates the alumni and supporters who continue to give back, Homecoming reminds us that the Viking legacy goes beyond the years spent on campus. It lives on through the people who remain connected to the university and invest in the students who will carry that legacy forward.
