Stephenson family honors Judy Stephenson's legacy with Florida Poly scholarship

LAKELAND, Fla., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Polytechnic University President Devin Stephenson and his family are deepening their commitment to student success with a second $25,000 gift to the Florida Poly Foundation, transforming a scholarship they established last year into a lasting tribute to his late wife, Judy Dodd Stephenson.

The new contribution doubles the family's investment in the endowed scholarship to $50,000 and, following Judy Stephenson's recent passing, gives the fund a meaningful new name: the Judy Dodd Stephenson Legacy Scholarship. The endowment will provide more opportunity to hard-working students facing financial barriers.

For Stephenson, a veteran educator with decades of leadership experience in higher education, the scholarship represents a personal mission he and Judy shared throughout their life together. They strongly believed in education's power to change lives and create opportunities for future generations. It is a value they instilled in their two children and one that will now live through the students who receive the new scholarship.

"Education has always been the cornerstone of our family's journey," Stephenson said. "Judy and I always believed that no matter what success you achieve in life, your greatest contribution is the difference you make in the lives of others. This scholarship ensures her passion for uplifting people will endure by helping students build brighter futures and reach their full potential."

As Florida Poly's first lady, Judy Stephenson represented the values that shaped her life and her family: integrity, compassion, and the conviction that education can provide a foundation for lifelong success.

"We were blessed to build a beautiful life together, rooted in honesty, hard work and a commitment to excellence," Stephenson said. "Judy's heart was always with the students. Knowing that her legacy will live on through their dreams and achievements means more to our family than I can express."

The scholarship was previously available exclusively to members of the University's Presidential Ambassadors program. Under new expanded criteria, it will now support students with demonstrated financial need who maintain strong academic progress toward graduation.

"We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Stephenson and his family," said Stephen Weingart, Florida Poly's chief development officer and CEO of the Florida Poly Foundation. "This additional gift, and the renaming of the scholarship to honor Judy, is a wonderful testament to her life. Her dedication to supporting students who face financial hurdles will be an enduring legacy that changes the trajectory of their careers, lives and families."

SOURCE Florida Polytechnic University