Courtesy of GSU Communications
When David W. Cain and Gaylon Benton Cain arrived at Grambling State University in the fall of 1975, both did so as recipients of academic merit scholarships—aid that required discipline, consistency, and high performance.
Nearly five decades later, those same values have come full circle through the David W. Cain and Gaylon Benton Cain Scholarship, a $50,000 endowed award supporting high-achieving students at Grambling State.
A Marion, Louisiana native, David Cain had multiple college options but was drawn to Grambling State by the personal outreach he received when visiting with Dr. Samuel Douglas, who was over the math and computer science department at the time.
“He personally asked me to come to Grambling to help with the computer science department,” Cain said. “It just seemed like Grambling wanted me at that time.”
Gaylon Cain, from El Dorado, Arkansas, said her path was shaped by community influence. A pastor from Jonesboro, Louisiana, Larry Leonard, recommended the institution. After hearing a compelling presentation from alumnus Gerald Peoples during Senior Day, her parents agreed she should consider the University.
“The rest is history,” she said.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Both alumni credit Grambling State not only with academic preparation, but with providing out-of-class experiences that shaped their professional paths.
David Cain, a computer science and applied mathematics major, gained hands-on experience through a semester-long cooperative education assignment with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Faculty mentors helped him build problem-solving skills and confidence. By graduation, he had eight job offers from across the country.
Gaylon Cain, an Accounting major,
“When companies would come on campus, they would tell them, ‘You need to talk to her,’” she said. “So I had favor even going into the interviews.”
Her academic foundation and mentorship translated into five job offers upon graduation.
David Cain went on to a 31-year career at Lockheed Martin as systems engineer, lead engineer, and program manager, retiring in 2018. Gaylon Cain began at Price Waterhouse, one of the “Big Eight” accounting firms at the time, and rose into executive leadership, retiring in 2019 as director of internal audit at CenterPoint Energy.
“But it was because of the foundation I received at Grambling and the instruction that I received there,” Gaylon Cain said. “It took a village to get me to where I ended up.”
A Reconnection at Homecoming
Though the Cains knew one another through campus organizations—Gaylon in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and David in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.—they did not date while in school. Years later, a reunion during Homecoming brought them back together.
“It was on the occasion of our 10th anniversary Homecoming that I reconnected with Gaylon,” David Cain said. “The Lord is good. We just happened to be there at the exact same Homecoming.”
The reconnection led to marriage later on in their lives, and eventually, a shared commitment to give back.
Giving Back the Way They Were Supported
Their scholarship is modeled after the merit-based aid that brought them to Grambling State, prioritizing students majoring in computer science, mathematics, and accounting who maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.
“We wanted to make sure that it went to someone who we felt like would be at the University for four or more years and graduate,” David Cain said.
Long after the gift is made, an endowed scholarship continues to support students, strengthen the institution, and extend the donors’ legacy.
“Endowed scholarships like the Cain Scholarship represent the highest form of alumni investment,” said Brandon A. Logan, Vice
A Legacy Designed to Endure
For the Cains, the inspiration to give is rooted in perspective and responsibility.
“None of us got to where we are on our own,” said David and Gaylon Cain. “And the more you give, the more you receive. And it’s just not just a good warm and fuzzy feeling or just seeing your name highlighted in print. It’s actually being a catalyst in someone’s life to help them improve and do better. And just hoping that it will continue, that they will, in turn, once they are able, will reach back and pull someone up and help them as well.”
As Grambling State University approaches its 125th anniversary, the David W. Cain and Gaylon Benton Cain Scholarship reflects the enduring impact of preparation, opportunity, and alumni who choose to reinvest in the next generation.
“We see it as a legacy thing,” David Cain said. “Even after we’re gone, this scholarship in our name and the benefit to the students will continue on.”
