A Bright Future Starts at AU

When Royelen Lee Boykie toured American University's campus during her senior year of high school, she found AU inviting and, given its close proximity to the heart of government, exactly where she wanted to spend her college years. A New Jersey native, Boykie chose to live on Letts Hall's "International Floor," so she could meet people from all over the world. In Letts Hall, Boykie met her best friends, and they have been celebrating New Year's together since the early 1980s.

Boykie immersed herself in her political science studies in and outside the classroom by attending rallies, meeting political candidates, and working on campus in the School of Public Affairs' Department of Justice, Law & Criminology. While a student at AU, she also had paid internships with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.

Boykie went on to work for several government-related entities as well as AOL, where she developed online communities well before the advent of social media. Now a digital strategist at Food & Water Watch in Washington, D.C., she attributes her professional success to her early AU experiences.

"I felt incredibly prepared to work after graduating from AU. My internships matched with my AU degree made an enormous difference to potential employers," says Boykie.

In appreciation of her AU education, Boykie named the university as a  beneficiary of her retirement plan, sharing: "I wouldn't have been able to attend AU without the financial aid I received, and now I'm able to give back."

Her gift will support scholarships for future generations of AU students who wish to devote their lives to public service or to pursue a degree in the fine arts. Also, to honor two places particularly dear to her, Boykie intends for her scholarship to support AU students hailing from Washington, D.C., and Hawaii.

Invest in Tomorrow's Leaders
Donor-funded scholarships like Boykie's help deserving students pursue an outstanding AU education. You can make a difference for the next generation of AU Eagles with a gift through your estate plan. Contact Seth D. Speyer, at 202-885-3411 or speyer@american.edu to learn how you can make a difference.