Birthday parties are full of fun things like sweet treats, colorful balloons, party hats and presents. This year, 8-year-old Cy Griffith’s birthday bash was full of these same great things, but with a twist. Instead of accepting presents, Cy asked his friends to help him celebrate his mimi’s memory by donating to a MSU scholarship.

Cy’s mimi

Cy’s mimi, Sandra Lou Westphal, loved Missouri State and passed that love on to her family. As a student, Sandra enjoyed working behind the scenes on Tent Theatre.

After graduation, she and her husband, Rick, (whom she met in a hallway of Craig Hall) continued to support Tent Theatre. For many years, the couple gifted Tent Theatre season tickets to family and friends for the holidays.

Happy Bear-thday, Cy!

Cy, the son of alumni Samuel and Margaret Griffith, shares his family’s maroon and white pride. For his birthday, he had a bowling party at Missouri State’s Level 1 Game Center, sported his best BearWear, had a Bear themed cookie cake and demonstrated the same giving spirit his grandmother had.

Leaving a legacy

Thanks to his generosity and the generosity of his friends, Cy was able to make a donation to his mimi’s scholarship, the Sandra Westphal Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship will help support a current student that works on Tent Theatre, making Sandra’s love of Tent Theatre a lasting legacy.

Shortly after his birthday and the day before his mimi’s birthday, Cy had the opportunity to deliver the scholarship money to current theatre and dance students.

The future Bear is excited to one day be a Missouri State student himself.