{"id":8790,"date":"2022-06-21T18:09:03","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T23:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/news\/?p=8790"},"modified":"2022-06-27T09:38:23","modified_gmt":"2022-06-27T14:38:23","slug":"avid-gamer-philanthropist-donates-to-colonel-esports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/news\/2022\/06\/21\/avid-gamer-philanthropist-donates-to-colonel-esports\/","title":{"rendered":"Avid Gamer, Philanthropist Donates to Colonel Esports"},"content":{"rendered":"
THIBODAUX, La. — Philanthropist Rachel Callais is donating $25,000 to support the Colonel eSports team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The money will be used to create scholarships for the players and help to establish a streaming station, which will educate students on professional broadcasting and podcasting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI wish I had a place like Esports during my junior high and high school years in school. I was a very shy person, didn\u2019t have many friends and would often stay to myself. Esports gives people like me an opportunity to feel like they belong somewhere,\u201d Callais said. \u201cThis program is for students from all walks of life. It gives them a place to socialize with other students who share a common interest: video games.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Faculty Head Coach and Advisor Elizabeth Layton said she is thrilled to have the support of the community as the team continues to grow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe students are so excited to be able to have this new station because more often than not, they have been streaming from home during our matches due to limited resources,\u201d Layton said. \u201cHaving this support from someone who loves what we\u2019re doing just shows how gaming can bring people together.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Callais is an avid gamer and supporter of the university. She and her sister, Leah, donated $200,000 in 2017 for new nursing computer labs in Ayo Hall, and $120,000 earlier this year to create endowed professorships in coastal studies.<\/span><\/p>\n