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New College of Idaho opportunity fund honors NBA legend

Elgin Baylor started his college hoops career as a Yote. He and his wife are the namesake of a new opportunity fund to support underrepresented students

IDAHO, USA — A new scholarship fund supported by some of the biggest business leaders across the state will support underrepresented students at the College of Idaho.

It also honors one of the greatest NBA players of all time, who started playing college basketball as a Yote - Elgin Baylor.

The Elgin & Elaine Baylor Opportunity Fund will be used to fund 44 students with financial needs from underrepresented populations with full tuition, four-year scholarships to attend the College of Idaho.

"I know Elgin would be moved to tears if he were here," Elaine Baylor said during a news conference Tuesday at the campus of Blue Cross of Idaho in Meridian said. "To have his legacy to be a scholarship fund that's open to all students - not just basketball players, not just athletes - but anyone who qualifies. That is monumental, and a legacy like that that will live on beyond both of us is something that you only dream of."

The opportunity fund is named after Elaine and Elgin - an 11-time NBA All-Star who began his collegiate career at the College of Idaho in 1954 - a decade before the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. 

Many schools were segregated during the time, and Elgin was barely recruited out of high school. 

But the College of Idaho welcome Elgin - and other black players - to the team. The school is continuing that spirit of inclusivity and opportunity though the fund.

"To me, it says a lot about what people in Idaho are about. They care about inclusivity; they care about maintaining diversity in this state. That's what the college has been for 132 years now," Doug Brigham, co-president of the College of Idaho said. "It's cool to see the leadership in the state really support it - and it's not surprising. That's what Idaho has been and continues to be."

The first recipient of the Elgin & Elaine Baylor is Nimo Abdi, a student at Capital High School in Boise. 

"It feels surreal," Nimo said. "Because for so long I had to dream of being a leader and creating a path that so many pioneers can walk through. I didn't think that I would be able to achieve this, but now I'm the first recipient of a scholarship that's going to create leaders and changemakers, and potentially have an impact on the world. So, it feels surreal, but also feels like I've reached my dream."

Nimo moved to the United States when she was four years old, her family came from a refugee camp in Kenya. 

This fall, she will be using her scholarship to study biomedical sciences at the College of Idaho.  

"You're with the world as you're learning. Because the first students I ever met at the college were four international students...so it was surreal to see such a thing," Nimo said. "That's what the College of Idaho has given to me. I hope to become my best so I can give that and much more back to them."

The opportunity fund has a goal of a $25 million endowment to fund the 44 scholarships in perpetuity.

The fund has received a support by business leaders across the state. 12 companies have pledged support to the fund, including Micron.

"To solve some of the biggest challenges in the world, you have to have that broad perspective, that deep perspective" Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said during Tuesday's news conference. "So really I think the College of Idaho, and the student population and alumni are truly gifted to have that opportunity to look deeper and broader, share the experiences of various communities, and ultimately truly lead to fulfilling experiences. An impact that changes the world and shapes the world of the future."

To date, more than $1 million has been raised for the Elgin & Elaine Opportunity Fund. 

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