Affectionately known as Terry amongst his friends in various Hemophilia, HIV / AIDS and other communities within the Northern California communities, Terry L. Stogdell suffered from Hemophilia and later HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis as a further complication of contaminated Hemophilia medication. Raised by a single mother in the bay area, Terry had never graduated high school let alone had a college education on his path. When diagnosed with HIV in 1985, at 21 years old and shortly after his first and only child Desiree was born, the concept of a college education seemed less likely for Terry so he shifted his priorities to public health and ensuring his daughter pursued a college education unlike himself.
Terry is a large part of the Humboldt communities still as his memory remains. In the 1990s he organized “Adventure camps” with Bill Wing of Wing inflatables and other friends who wanted to support disabled persons getting access to nature and exposed to water rafting which is estimated to have hosted hundreds of persons throughout the years. On April 14, 2002 at Alta Bates hospital Terry passed from AIDS complications. His daughter Desiree would end up attending Humboldt State University in 2004 graduating with a degree in Political Science in 2006 and later awarded as notable HSU alumni in 2013.
While scholarships at HSU on Terry’s behalf have always been on the roadmap for Terry and his family, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and desperate need for innovation within public health and schools, this scholarship is meant to lessen the financial burden of attending higher education particularly if the person is interested in making a difference or coming from a challenged background. The world needs more epidemiologists, nurses, scientists and most important future Terry's.