The future of the Department of Criminal Justice at North Carolina Central University is looking a little brighter these days with the establishment of the Averner Blue, Jr. Memorial Endowment Fund. An NCCU graduate, who wishes to remain anonymous, has presented the department with a gift of $25,000 in honor of her late fiancé, Averner Blue, Jr. Blue passed away on September 1, 2008.

The endowment will support males from underserved, socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. They must be enrolled in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences majoring in Criminal Justice and need financial assistance.

Born in Newton, New Jersey, Blue graduated from Newton High School in 1982 having earned numerous awards and honors both in the classroom and on the field. He attended Roanoke-Chowan College in Murfreesboro, N.C., until he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After serving four years in the military, he returned to college and subsequently received his Warrant Officer Certification from Sussex County Community College in Newton, N.J.

The donor said, “This is a tribute to Averner who was a professional in criminal justice; specifically with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Butner, North Carolina. I am assured he would be proud of this scholarship and would want his memory to remain alive in this act of developing a scholarship in his name. I look forward to continuing to support North Carolina Central University and Averner’s memory.”

The North Carolina Central University Foundation is located on the campus of North Carolina Central in the lower level of the William Jones Building and can be reached by phone at (919) 530-6151.