“Marquette shaped me into the person I am today. It means a great deal to me and my family to be able to give back to take the university to the next level,” Dwyane Wade once said—and it wasn’t just a passing quote. It was a promise. In just two seasons as a Golden Eagle at MU, he averaged 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists on 49.4% shooting, helping lead the team all the way to the Final Four in 2003. But more than stats or banners, Marquette gave him roots—on the court and in life. And now, years and championships later, Wade is honoring the place and the people that helped shape him.

Back in February, Kennedi Luckett, a MU freshman, thought she was just hopping on a casual Teams call to talk about her goals and life at Marquette. A double major in psychology and digital media, and an Urban Scholar, Luckett prides herself on being prepared, so the lack of details made her a little nervous. But what she didn’t know was that behind the scenes, something big was brewing. That quiet call kicked off a whirlwind that would soon land her on national TV—The TODAY Show with Jenna & Friends—where she’d be introduced as the first-ever Wade Scholar!

And just recently, Marquette dropped a feel-good gem on Instagram: Wade, back on campus, walking side by side with Kennedi and fellow recipient Miles Ward. The caption read, “Promises kept! ✅ The last time Marquette student Kennedi Luckett and @dwyanewade were together, it was on The TODAY Show with @jennaandfriends, where Wade said they should walk around campus together the next time he visited. This week, they made it happen. A full-circle moment we’ll never forget! 💙💛”

And Wade’s promise keeps getting bigger. The NBA Hall of Famer and proud Marquette alum has pledged a $3 million gift to support three major areas at the university—but at its core is something deeply personal: access to education. A major portion of the gift is dedicated to the Wade Scholars program, which offers full room and board scholarships to two low-income, high-achieving students each year, covering their first two years on campus.

It’s a natural extension of the Tragil Wade-Johnson Summer Reading Program, launched in 2015 and named after Wade’s sister, which has significantly helped Milwaukee schoolchildren combat the “summer slide” in reading. “My hope is that the children will envision themselves as future Marquette students where they can one day transform their lives through higher education,” Wade said when he first launched his literacy efforts. That hope now has numbers behind it: through Marquette’s Time to Rise campaign, the university has raised over $300 million in scholarship funds—40% of all funds raised—and more than 20% of current students are the first in their families to attend college.

The gift also fuels the second phase of the Athletic and Human Performance Research Center (AHPRC), including a new men’s basketball practice facility. This expansion will free up essential space for the women’s basketball and volleyball programs and add tutoring and study spaces for all student-athletes. And in honor of Wade’s leadership and legacy, Marquette will name the new practice court the Dwyane Wade Court.

Dwyane Wade and Diener team up to champion youth literacy in Milwaukee

Dwyane Wade might joke that he falls asleep the minute he starts reading a book, but don’t let that fool you—he’s dead serious about promoting literacy. “I’m one of them people. I start reading the book and I’m going to sleep fast… I got to listen to my book, I’m sorry I ain’t going to make it,” he said on Pardon My Take. But for Wade, it’s not about his own reading habits—it’s about creating opportunities for kids who might not otherwise have them. “Literacy is something that’s really important for me and for my family. The greater Milwaukee area is something that’s really important to Diener and really important for myself as well. So, we wanted to bring something as former athletes here for Marquette and this community that can uplift it.”

That’s exactly what he and fellow Marquette alum Travis Diener are doing with Wade vs. Diener—a three-day (and now annual) fundraising event in Milwaukee aimed at boosting youth literacy. From private girls’ basketball camps at The Facility in Mequon to community-wide Tee Off Parties and golf outings, the event blends basketball and giving in all the right ways. This year’s edition took place June 15 and 17, with Wade coaching young hoopers, hugging campers, and reposting moments on his Instagram stories, from the weekend with a heartfelt “Thank you, everyone who came out this weekend to support.” The friendly competition between Wade and Diener helps raise money for programs like the Tragil Wade-Johnson Summer Reading Program.

The reading program was launched in 2015 through a partnership with the Ralph C. Hartman Literacy and Learning Center and funded by Wade’s World Foundation. In its first three years alone, every single one of the 131 second- and third-grade participants either maintained or increased their reading level. Each summer, it welcomes rising second to fourth graders for four weeks of structured literacy lessons, enrichment activities, and hands-on tutoring. It’s not just for the students either—the program doubles as professional training for future teachers, preparing them to better serve the next generation. Wade may not be a reader himself, but when it comes to helping kids unlock a love for learning, he’s wide awake and leading the charge.

Dwyane Wade didn’t just fund scholarships—he showed up. His return to campus to walk with the first two Wade Scholars was a full-circle moment, built on intention and follow-through.