BATON ROUGE - Southern University engineering students received a $10K donation toward a newly established program focused on mentorship by Jaguar alumni.

The Southern Engineering Alumni Scholars (SEAS) is working to produce the best engineers and scientists. SEASis in their second year and says the donation will not only help with recruiting top talent but also invest in current students.

"Engineers are trained to think and solve problems. And that's what we're hoping to develop - the future of problem solvers that will help this world be a better world," Southern University and A&M College alumni Howard White said.

Dean of the College of Science and Engineering Lealon Martin says he is grateful for the donation and hopes to see more alumni support in the future.

"The value of the college and the ability to perform our mission really relies heavily on the engagement that we have with alumni," he said.

The money was donated by Collis Temple Jr., a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors. Although he is not a Southern University alumni he has several family members that are.

"Those are the kind of stakeholders we need for our community because as Southern produces quality engineers, which all are that graduate. Guess what? Louisiana wins," Southern University and A&M College alumni Howard White said

Martin says as of now there are no specific plans for the donation, but it will go towards housing, tuition and program enhancements.

"Holistically we need to be able to meet the needs of our students inside the classroom and outside the classroom. So that they can excel and be the best that they can possibly be," he said.