Swish. That
is the inevitable and unavoidable sound that shopping carts make as swarms of
fast-moving parents and students move throughout the “back-to-school” aisles in
attempts to check off an item on their extensive to-do list. This list facilitates a mixture of emotion
and a sense of burdensome urgency laced with feelings of anticipation provided
by the new and unknown world called college.
Through the reduction of financial barriers, Coastal Community
Foundation’s General Scholarships allow for students to be focused on the
excitement of pursuing a college career rather than the heavy weight of their
education’s expenses. Granting $226,400
in scholarships this year, Coastal Community Foundation has assisted 120
deserving students in bringing their aspirations for a college education to
fruition. Generous donors throughout the
Lowcountry have allocated the funding for these grants planting seeds for
future community leaders. Recipients,
carefully selected based upon their academic credentials, ambitions for the
future, and financial need, hail from several counties and various
backgrounds. They are alike, however, in
their aspirations to purpose their education for the betterment of the whole
community.
Jonathon Heyward, a multiple-year
scholarship recipient from Charleston, describes his story eloquently, claiming
that, “for the majority of my life, I have been raised in a single parent
household with another younger sibling. This situation has brought many
financial obstacles making it sometimes difficult to continue my musical
career. Ever since the 9th grade, it has been a dream of mine to continue
my studies as a musician at a conservatory. The Coastal Community Foundation
has truly made my dream come true and I am so grateful for the continued
support. I am currently a junior studying Cello Performance at The Boston
Conservatory of Music. I hope to continue my education with a Masters of Music
in Orchestral Conducting and to later become a Music Director of a symphony
orchestra. My aspirations as a Music Director would consist of building a
strong education and community outreach program making music more
accessible to everyone.” Eager for and
thoughtful in their college pursuits, scholarship recipients like Heyward
brighten the back-to-school equation.
For a full list of General Scholarship winners please visit:
http://www.coastalcommunityfoundation.org/news/news.html?id=211&year=2012
