The headliner of the upcoming Founders Day Scholarship Gala at Elizabeth City State University is from a different world.

More precisely, actress Jasmine Guy starred in the popular 1980s television sitcom “A Different World.”

Guy, winner of six NAACP Image awards, is best known for her role as Whitley in “A Different World,” a “Cosby Show” spinoff that also featured Lisa Bonet and Kadeem Hardison.

The show portrayed the usually hilarious but occasionally poignant experiences of a group of students at a historically black college.

Guy also has performed as a singer and has numerous other acting roles to her credit in movies, television shows and stage plays. Last year she had a recurring role on “The Vampire Diaries.”

The actress was born in Boston but grew up in Atlanta.

Guy is an author, notably of a work on the life of Tupac Shakur’s mother, Afeni Shakur.

She also has worked as a director.

This will be the sixth annual Founders Day Scholarship Gala at ECSU. The event will be March 9 at the K.E. White Center.

More than $320,000 in scholarship money has been raised through the five previous galas, according to information provided by ECSU.

Tickets for the event are available through the university’s office of institutional advancement. A number of sponsorship opportunities are available, including title sponsor for $50,000, founders sponsor for $25,000, legacy sponsor for $15,000, host sponsor for $10,000, gold sponsor for $5,000, silver sponsor for $2,500, Viking sponsor for $1,000, and blue & white sponsor for $500.

Additional information about sponsorship opportunities is available through ECSU’s office of institutional advancement.

The guest speaker for the Founders Day Convocation on March 8 will be Jeanette H. Evans, president of the ECSU National Alumni Association.

Music at the gala will be by Blaq Ink. K.D. Bowe, in-stadium announcer for the Atlanta Falcons and host of his own show on Praise 102.5 FM in Atlanta, will be master of ceremonies at the gala.