McNeese State University alumnus Ross Theriot, a 2012 graduate in mass communication, has been selected as the Horatio Alger Association Alumnus of the Year, an award intended to recognize exceptional leaders who have overcome adversity and go above and beyond in their service to the organization and their communities, as well as for their achievements academically, professionally and philanthropically.
It was the Horatio Alger scholarship that brought Theriot to McNeese in 2008 and changed his life forever. Originally from Creole, medical complications as a child left Theriot with an interest in the medical field. But coming from a poor rural background, a career outside of the oil or agricultural field seemed out of reach. When his home was destroyed by Hurricane Rita in 2005, a scholarship seemed like the only chance he had for following his dream career. In 2008, Theriot applied for and received the Horatio Alger Louisiana State Scholarship to attend McNeese.