Scholarship Opens Doors From Wild and Wonderful West Virginia
April 21, 2026
- Author
- Danielle Strickland
Megan Good ’29 and Zavier Pollard ’29
For Andy Cooke ’90 and Marjorie Havighurst Cooke ’91, the path to Davidson College was paved with a bit of luck and a lot of heart.
Andy was the very last student admitted to his class, receiving a life-changing phone call in late summer that sprung him from the wait list, while Marjorie arrived as a standout field hockey recruit. Their paths crossed on campus, sparking a lifelong connection to one other and to the college. They’ve made their life in West Virginia, where Andy was born and raised, his natural home and her adopted one.
Decades later, the Cookes have turned that shared experience into something tangible: a scholarship designed to open the same doors for students from West Virginia, a place they know well and care deeply about. Together, they understand how much potential can go untapped without the right access points. Their answer was not just to establish a scholarship for West Virginia students, but to build momentum — bringing together more than 44 Davidson alums to support the scholarship and ensure it has staying power.
Megan Good ’29 and Zavier Pollard ’29, the scholarship’s first recipients named this year, reflect the kind of curiosity, range and drive the Cookes hoped to support.
Megan Good ’29 in the Appalachian Mountains
Megan Good ’29 and Family
Community Vibes
Megan Good ’29 delayed college entry after high school, putting her Davidson acceptance on hold to participate in the Wheaton College gap year program. She worked, explored classes and became immersed in a new environment before jumping into college.
When it was time to decide on a college, Good turned down a full ride elsewhere and chose Davidson for the community and science curriculum. Now, Good is exploring ways to combine her interests in environmental science, education, humanities and art.
“During my college search, Davidson really seemed to care,” she said, “and I’ve found that to be true. Five and a half hours from home felt doable, and I’ve found a community, classes and professors I truly love.”
A fiddle player since age six and an avid outdoorswoman, Good wanted a place that would nurture her eclectic out-of-classroom interests. She left home uncertain whether she’d be able to continue fiddle lessons, but has found an outlet through the Appalachian Ensemble, as well as through leadership training with Davidson Outdoors. There seems to be a path, she said, for exploring just about every interest she brought to campus.
“I was homeschooled for part of my life, and the curriculum was literature based,” Good said. “My Writing 101 class first semester was called “From Scroll to Screen” and focused on scripture and books. I loved it and am taking a second course with the same professor now.”
Football & Philosophy
Zavier Pollard ’29 spent his youth fishing, playing football, running track and wrestling. When he visited Davidson during the spring of his junior year at the invitation of the football program, the calm of the campus and the strength of the alumni network convinced him it was an opportunity he couldn't turn down.
“I committed earlier than planned,” he said, “and I was talking to a lot of schools — WVU, VMI, Virginia Tech, JMU, Elon. The campus visit made all the difference. To get to play the sport I love along with the high level of academics offered here, the decision was easy. People back home were impressed when they found out I was coming here.”
A defensive tackle on the football team, Pollard is every bit as passionate about the classroom. He is currently exploring the PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) program, exploring complex questions about consciousness, artificial intelligence and Davidson’s own history.
When Pollard arrived on campus, the wrestling coach took note. For a short time, the scholar-athlete thought he’d try to do both sports.
“I quickly realized that when one coach wants you to gain weight for your position, it causes an issue for a sport that often requires cutting weight in order to compete,” he said. “As far as sports go, I’m focused solely on football.”
Pollard had to leave a few things behind, like wrestling, but he carries a bit of home and family with him everywhere he goes. A tattoo on his arm reads, “I’m part of you indefinitely,” a line from a Mariah Carey song.
“My mom’s tattoo has [another lyric] ‘You’ll always be a part of me,’” he said. “We got them when I turned 18.”
Investing in Opportunity
The West Virginia Scholarship is about more than financial support. It’s a movement to strengthen the connection between the college and the untapped talent of Appalachia. For the Cookes, this is about removing the two biggest obstacles to bringing West Virginia students to Davidson College: awareness and cost.
“Talent is spread pretty uniformly, but opportunity is not,” Andy said. “Part of Davidson’s mission is to provide opportunities for bright people no matter where they are, so we hope this scholarship helps with that.”
In high school, Andy’s mother talked to him about the liberal arts, and he later came to campus for Davidson’s July Experience program. His early decision application was deferred, and he was waitlisted through regular decision.
“I asked if I could come for an interview, and I shared how sincerely I wanted to go to Davidson,” he said. “I have a good friend who loves to tell people he was the last one admitted in our class, but that was actually me.”
Soon, Andy met his future spouse, Marjorie, who came to Davidson just a year later, from a small high school and a family with surprising connections to West Virginia and the Presbyterian Church.
“I first heard about Davidson through family and was recruited to play field hockey,” she said. “During my campus visit, I was hosted by Eileen Keeley, who was two years ahead of me — and who ultimately introduced me to Andy. He later met my parents for the first time at the Carnegie Guest House.”
In addition to making the kinds of experiences they cherish possible for others, the Cookes are inspired by the college’s ongoing commitment to letting students’ merit speak more loudly than their financial circumstances. There’s a quiet confidence in the way the Cookes talk about the effort. No grand claims — just a belief that expanding access, even incrementally, matters.
“I am so proud of Davidson,” Marjorie said. “We just want to add to something that’s already very special. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Megan and Zavier contribute to campus, and I hope they take full advantage of all that’s there.”
Andy, an attorney, majored in biology and was involved as a member of the wrestling team and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Marjorie’s career has spanned banking, philanthropy and economic development. She majored in history and participated in Dance Ensemble, Rusk Eating House and as a member of the field hockey team. The couple has two children, one a 2022 Davidson alum.
