Topper Assist

Adam Howard is a 2009 graduate of WKU. A former member of the WKU Hilltoppers basketball team, Adam is an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.

Courtney Lee is a 2008 graduate of WKU. Courtney is a professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, Texas, but got his start on the Hilltoppers in Bowling Green.

Orlando Méndez-Valdez is a 2009 graduate of WKU. Like Courtney, Orlando began as a member of the Hilltoppers basketball team and is also a professional basketball player, playing for Capitanes de Ciudad de México of the NBA G League.

Anthony Winchester is a 2006 graduate of WKU. After playing for the Hilltoppers, Anthony became the Men’s Basketball Video Coordinator at University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Former teammates, Adam, Courtney, Orlando, and Anthony all credit their time at WKU for the opportunities they have. They also share the desire to make those experiences accessible to deserving students and give back to their community in the process. To that end, they established the Toppers Assist Scholarship Fund. The fund assists diverse incoming WKU freshmen who are graduates of a high school in Bowling Green or Warren County, Kentucky, have demonstrated a commitment to working with underrepresented or disadvantaged populations, and have displayed activism in bringing diverse people together. The Toppers Assist Scholarship Fund and the Danny Rumph Memorial Scholarship Fund joined forces to make an even greater impact for Western Kentucky University students. The Danny Rumph Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2005 when the Hilltopper point guard passed away before his senior season on the Hill. Danny’s scholarship was one of many partners announced supporting this scholarship. Many former WKU Hilltopper athletes have also committed to enhancing the fund.

Through this fund, the legacies of these alumni live on as they continue to make an impact on the Hill.