Meet the Host: Dr. Marcia Sturdivant, President and CEO of NEED

From tragedy springs hope. When civil rights icon Medgar Evers was assassinated in 1963, Pittsburgh resident Marion Gordon transformed her grief into action, founding NEED to fulfill Evers' dream of college access for African American students. Nearly six decades later, this remarkable organization has provided over $50 million in scholarships to more than 48,000 students across Western Pennsylvania.

Dr. Marcia Sturdivant, NEED's President and CEO, shares the organization's origin story with passion and purpose. What began with a fundraising dinner that sent 76 students to college has blossomed into an educational cornerstone, celebrated annually at their signature scholarship event where hundreds gather to honor student excellence. Rather than traditional marketing, NEED relies on its sterling reputation and a powerful ambassador program where alumni share personal testimonies about how educational access changed their lives.

The podcast features one such testimony from Lamar Blackwell, now an executive director of an educational nonprofit. Growing up surrounded by poverty and violence, Lamar credits NEED with connecting him to an "ecosystem of success" that revealed possibilities beyond his circumstances. His story exemplifies the organization's profound impact: creating pathways where none existed before.

Dr. Sturdivant's leadership philosophy centers on community responsibility and paying forward the help she once received. "There's no greater feeling than to have someone come to you in need of help and then you're able to see that they have resolved their situations later on," she reflects. Between scholarship work, Dr. Sturdivant enjoys quiet reading, theater, movies, and even thrifting – finding hidden treasures much like she does in the potential of every student NEED supports.

Ready to unlock the power of education? Contact NEED today and become part of a six-decade legacy of transforming lives through educational opportunity. Your support continues the mission that began in response to tragedy but has flourished into a powerful force for positive change.

To learn more about NEED visit:
https://www.NEEDLD.org
NEED
429 Fourth Avenue, 20th FL, Suite 2000
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412-566-2760