ADA, Okla. – East Central University (ECU), in conjunction with the ECU Black Alumni Association (BAA), recently hosted the Annual Alumni Gala Dinner and Dance during Homecoming weekend inside the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center.
The 2025 event featured the presentation of one ECU Distinguished Alumni Award and three BAA Scholarship recipients as well as this year’s ECU Rising Star Awards presented to Samuel Malchar, Dr. Carlee Henderson Cox, and Andrea Sifers.
Malchar is a former ECU baseball player who earned his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance and Financial Management Services in 2013.
“I just wanted to say how thankful I am for East Central University,” stated Malchar during his acceptance speech.
Malchar joined ECU in 2012, during his college baseball career, thanking Assistant Athletic Director Justin Graham for his recruitment efforts.
In 2014, following his graduation from ECU, Malchar joined Edward Jones. He was named general partner and principal with Edward Jones in 2023, becoming one of the youngest partners in a firm of over 50,000 associates. He currently leads the Southwest Houston Region, which includes 55 branches.
A strong supporter of his community, Malchar has served on the City of Galveston’s Parks and Amenities Committee and the Arts and Preservation Committee. He has served as a board member for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and is a two-time Paul Harris Fellow Award recipient.
Malchar is the past president of The Rotary Club of Galveston Island and was named to "Galveston's 40 Under 40 of 2020."
He currently resides in Galveston, Texas, with his spouse Samantha, who is also an ECU alumna, and their two children Scout and Cannon.
Cutline: ECU President Wendell Godwin presents the 2025 Rising Star Award to Samuel Malchar.
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