The McNair Law Firm and the University of South Carolina Beaufort Establish the Senator Clementa Pinckney Endowed Scholarship Fund

Newswise — The University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) has established the Senator Clementa Pinckney Endowed Scholarship Fund to honor Reverend Pinckney’s commitment to education and the leadership he provided throughout the Lowcountry and the State of South Carolina. Made possible through an initial $25,000 commitment by the McNair Law Firm, the scholarship fund will give preference to students from Jasper County, one of the most economically and educationally deprived counties in the State. USCB has set a goal of honoring Senator Pinckney’s memory by raising at least $100,000 in this scholarship fund to help deserving Jasper County residents achieve their potential by pursuing a baccalaureate degree at USCB. Senator Pinckney represented Jasper County, one of the two counties on which USCB’s main campus sits. He made history as both the youngest African American to be elected to the South Carolina House and then to the South Carolina Senate. A larger than life leader, Clementa Pinckney was a supporter of the University of South Carolina Beaufort and its campaign for parity funding. Each year, he held his “Senator-for-a-Day” speaking contest for Jasper County high school students at USCB. Tragically, Senator Pinckney and eight other individuals were victims of the tragedy that occurred at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston June 17, 2015. “Senator Clementa Pinckney was an invaluable leader in USCB’s journey from a two-year institution awarding only associate degrees to a full-service, baccalaureate degree-granting institution,” said USCB Chancellor Jane T. Upshaw. “The McNair Law Firm and USCB believe that a named scholarship is an appropriate way to honor Senator Pinckney’s life in perpetuity while encouraging students to expand their horizons, human understanding and service to the community.” Because of Senator Pinckney’s roots in Beaufort and Jasper Counties and his commitment to education, the Beaufort-Jasper Higher Education Commission has agreed to support the scholarship efforts. Individuals wishing to contribute to the Senator Clementa Pinckney Endowed Scholarship Fund can send their donation to: University of South Carolina Beaufort, Office for Development, One University Boulevard, Bluffton, SC 29909. Please make the check payable to the “University of South Carolina Education Foundation” and place “Senator Pinckney Scholarship Fund at USCB” on the check’s memo line. To make a credit card payment, please call: 843-208-8008. For more information regarding the scholarship fund, please call: 843-208-8242.

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About USCB: Located in the heart of the Carolina Sea Islands, the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) is a baccalaureate member of the USC system, serving the southeast coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Since 2002, USCB has tripled its academic degree programs, doubled its FTE enrollment, opened its first on-campus housing (now serving more than 600), joined the NAIA Sun Conference, and fielded conference and national award-winning Sand Shark athletes in nine sports. The university’s two campuses serve a diverse student body of 1,800 students. The Hilton Head Gateway campus in Bluffton, SC, offers cutting-edge Computational Science and Nursing laboratories, and a broad range of academic degree programs. It is home to Sand Shark athletics. The Historic Beaufort campus, located on Beaufort’s downtown waterfront, houses an innovative baccalaureate Studio Art program in close proximity to Beaufort’s many art galleries. Students enjoy opportunities on Hilton Head Island, including the USCB Center for Event Management and a Coastal Ecology research partnership with Vagabond Cruise. USCB serves 1,500 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) members, who participate in more than 1 million course hours annually, placing OLLI at USCB in the top 10 in the country. The University of South Carolina Beaufort offers students an exceptional place to learn and live in an environment focused on growth, preservation and opportunity. www.uscb.edu