Daughters of NY Subway Hero Receive EAF Scholarships
Wesley Autrey and daughters attend check presentation
The daughters of Wesley Autrey, Sr.—who risked his life to save a fellow New Yorker by jumping under a subway train—each received a scholarship toward their college education from Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF).
EAF is Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s scholarship arm and its mission is “to provide financial support to individuals and organizations engaged in lifelong learning.” Within this spirit, Barbara A. McKinzie, EAF president and the Sorority’s international president, and EAF executive secretary, Deborah Dangerfield, presented a $5,000 scholarship to Shuqui Autrey, age 7, and a $5,000 scholarship to Syshe Autrey, age 5.
They were with their dad on January 2, 2007 when he risked his life to save a fellow citizen who had fallen onto the tracks while suffering an epileptic seizure. Autrey was hailed worldwide for his extraordinary bravery. However, his first concern after his heroic act was his daughters’ well being. Indeed, moments after he made his “leap of faith,” and even while under the tracks, he yelled out to assure Shuqui and Syshe that he was “all right.”
In making the announcement, McKinzie declared, “As the world’s oldest and largest Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha is founded on a bedrock of education. The Educational Advancement Foundation is the conduit through which we award grants. As an extension of EAF’s education mission, we are delighted to present $5,000 checks to Shuqui and Syshe Autrey.”
Click here to read the press release [PDF].
Click here to learn more about the Educational Advancement Foundation.