The Lutzie 43 Foundation’s Prepared For Life (PFL) Scholarship was established in 2017 and is awarded annually to students who have demonstrated outstanding character in the areas of service and leadership, showing these characteristics in their decision to serve as positive ambassadors for safe driving to their peers and in their communities. Since its beginning, the Lutzie 43 Foundation has awarded seventy-eight PFL Scholarships to deserving students across the country totaling more than $325,000. 

We caught up with 2018 PFL Scholar Alumni, Tyquavious Noland, to hear about his post-graduate life and to learn more about his recent opportunity as an Adidas Legacy Honoree in Honoring Black Excellence.

Tyquavious, remind us where you grew up and when you became a PFL Scholar?

I grew up in a neighborhood called Mechanicsville in Atlanta, Georgia where I attended Maynard H. Jackson High School, graduating in 2016. I played baseball all throughout my childhood and was a L.E.A.D Ambassador throughout high school, using my love for baseball to better myself and inspire others. Through L.E.A.D, I was introduced to the Lutzie 43 Foundation, and I became a PFL Scholar in 2018.

What did being a PFL Scholar mean to you?

Becoming a 2018 recipient of the PFL Scholarship meant everything to me and more! Being a chosen representative of the Lutzie 43 Foundation was a trophy and honor to my everyday grind. The scholarship helped me financially purse a post-secondary education where I played baseball at LeMoyne-Owen College, located in Memphis, Tennessee. But more importantly, the PFL Scholarship reminded me to always put my community first, and to know that it’s not about where you come from, but about how you live your life and treat others that matters most!

Tell us about your collegiate experience at LeMoyne-Owen College:

While in college at LeMoyne Owen, I maintained a 3.4 GPA all four years, and was captain of the baseball team for two years. We were the first team in school history to make it to the conference championship game! I pledged a fraternity which enabled me to give back to communities in need where I mentored inner city high school students.

What are you up to post-graduation from LeMoyne-Owen College?

I am currently back in Atlanta working as a real estate investor, with a small but growing real estate portfolio. I also am an industrial recruiter with Aerotek, which is the number one staffing company in the world.

What is the Adidas Legacy Honoree and Honoring Black Excellence program?

I’ve been selected as one of the 2022 Adidas Legacy Honorees which represents black excellence and success from those who grew up in poverty but proved that we won’t be another statistic. My work (along with three other L.E.A.D Ambassadors) in my community is being honored with a mural right in the neighborhood I grew up in. The mural highlights an upcoming masterclass partnership with an Adidas curriculum called “Winning the Game of Life: Developing Your Own Black Excellence”.

I have always had a passion for giving back and pouring into those younger than me, just like the mentors that impacted me growing up. I have always said that one of the hardest things to do as an inner city black male is to have guidance on what’s best to next. This masterclass will be available through Adidas to serve as a guide for inner city youth nationwide.