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P A R T I
From Prison to Power:
A Keynote That Stirred the Soul
The keynote address from The Honorable Don L. Scott, Speaker of the
Virginia House of Delegates, was nothing short of transformational. The
first Black Speaker in the House’s 400-year history, Scott shared a deeply
personal journey—from incarceration to influence—with raw honesty and
resounding hope.
“While at LSU Law, I made a mistake. In 1994, I was sentenced to 10 years.
I thought my life was over,” he said. But redemption was just beginning.
In the years since, Scott rebuilt his life, launching a law practice that
has secured more than $100 million in settlements and achieving a full
presidential pardon from Joe Biden in January 2024.
His powerful refrain: “You can stand firm because you stand on the
shoulders of those who came before you. Now, others will stand on yours.”
With his family beaming from the crowd, Scott’s message rang clear,
wherever you begin, greatness is within reach.
Planting Seeds of Opportunity
To thunderous applause, Speaker Scott pledged a $100,000 gift to
establish the Dr. Mellanda Colson Scott Endowed Scholarship. “This is
a seed,” he said, “for students like me—those who are brilliant but one
emergency away from leaving school.”
His gift, in honor of his wife, a graduate of the class of 1993, will support
students facing financial adversity, reinforcing Hampton’s commitment
to access, equity, and excellence amid a national climate of shrinking
educational resources.
“HBCUs aren’t going anywhere,” Scott declared. “We are here. We are
strong. And we are standing tall.”
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