Lesyle Shellam is making a significant donation in honor of her late father, real estate icon L. Dickson Flake.
Shellam has donated $100,000 to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to establish the L. Dickson Flake Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship will be aimed at providing assistance for undergraduate students seeking a finance degree with an emphasis in real estate in the School of Business. The scholarship will provide assistance with tuition, books, fees and room and board.
“My father saw a great future for Little Rock. He was an avid Trojan fan, loved the university, and loved the education prospects,” Shellam said in a statement. “His goal for the scholarship is to give students the chance to get creative and able to concentrate on his or her vision to bring the real estate industry forth for the city and for the good of all of us who live here.”
Flake was one of four partners who formed Barnes, Quinn, Flake and Anderson, which is the predecessor of real estate firm Colliers International. He also was a member of the American Society of Real Estate Counselors and was the youngest member to join when invited in 1973. He later received the CCIM organization award from the Realtors National Marketing Institute and SIOR designation from the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors.
“My dad lived real estate. He loved it dearly, lived it daily,” Shellam said. “It is so much more than a degree or a title. I think my dad really demonstrated and lived that. He was a true family man, provider, teacher, and always there when you needed him. The company, Colliers International, was his second family. It shows you how whatever you do, the dedication and the ethics that you do it with, expands much further. I am so grateful for the bridge that these families, dad’s and Colliers, continue to impact Little Rock’s future, and I can’t wait to see the results of the students who are embarking on this career.”
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