Recent News

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Author: Christine Beddia
Publisher: Press Release
09/01/2009

Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties, SC ñ September 1, 2009: Coastal Community Foundation awarded more than $212,000 in new and renewable scholarships to 109 area students* to pursue private or parochial high school education or a four-year college degree.

Individuals and families in the Lowcountry community have created scholarship funds** or endowments at Coastal Community Foundation either as living legacies or to honor the memory of loved ones, many of whom were students themselves in the prime of their academic lives. The Foundation shares the stories of these donors and loved ones with the students who receive the scholarships, which makes the award even more personal.

ìA number of this yearís 109 award recipients benefited from awards from multiple scholarship Funds,î said Richard Hendry, Vice President of Grants and Programs. ìWith many of our funding programs, money from various donors is combined to accomplish a shared purpose ñ in this case, recognizing excellence in our communityís youth.î

Coastal Community Foundation manages a range of scholarships, some of which are decided by specially convened committees made up of community members with interest and experience in the education field. Others are decided by the school faculty and administration of the high schools or colleges for which the scholarships have been established. Either way, talented students receive not only recognition, but also support for the escalating costs of education. Their lives are enriched because of it and so is the entire community.

*Profiles of selected scholarship recipients - 2009

Joshua Anderson (Summerville) ñ Josh is a graduate of Summerville High School and a talented artist. He plans to attend Trident Technical College before transferring to Savannah College of Art & Design.

JaNay Bing (North Charleston) ñ When JaNay graduated from West Ashley High four years ago with her first CCF scholarship, she said she wanted to become a lawyer. Now sheís ready for her senior year at Clemson with a 3.48 GPA, and thatís still her plan.

Paige Brockington (North Charleston) ñ Paige majored in dance at the Charleston County School of the Arts, and will attend Spelman College in the fall. Paige hopes to pursue a career as a pharmacotherapist.

Brittany Brooks (West Ashley) ñ A rising junior at Tennessee State U. with a major in Biology (concentration on Cell & Molecular Biology), Brittanyís goal is to become ìone of the best trauma surgeons in the country and eventually the world.î

Blair Cadden (Johns Island) ñ A graduate of First Baptist Church School, Blair will attend Wofford College. Blair hopes to pursue a degree in Theatre Education to work with students Kindergarten-12th grade and eventually start her own theatre company with a youth program as well as adult production.

Carlton Cohen (Johns Island) ñ A graduate of St. Johnís High School, Carlton is planning to attend the University of South Carolina Upstate in the fall. Carlton aspires to become a psychologist because of his fascination with the human mind and how people make decisions.

Chrissy DiNicola (Mt. Pleasant) ñ A rising junior at Duke University, Chrissy is majoring in English and focusing on journalism.

Samantha Donner (Mt. Pleasant) ñ A junior at Furman University, Sam is majoring in Music Education. After graduation from Furman, Sam hopes to attend graduate school to obtain a masterís degree in Education.

Kiara Dottery (Awendaw) ñ Valedictorian of her class at Lincoln High School, Kiara will attend USC-Upstate in the fall to pursue a career in nursing.

Dominique Gray (James Island) ñ Entering his sophomore year at USC this fall, Dominique has a 3.5 GPA in his major, Media Arts.

Catherine Hodierne (Summerville) ñ Catherine graduated from Summerville High School with a strong record of theatrical accomplishments and will attend University of South Carolina.

Erin Joseph (Summerville) ñ Erin is recommended for renewal of last yearís Jefferson Scholarship. After studying for two years at Spartanburg Methodist, Erin has transferred to USC Upstate to complete her nursing degree, after which she would like to attend graduate school.

Bailey Koch (Folly Beach) ñ Bailey is a graduate of the Academic Magnet High School with an outstanding GPA. Bailey applied to only one school (NYU) and was accepted.

Kirsten McKeown (Hanahan) ñ A graduate of Northwoods Academy, Kristen McKeown, will be attending Charleston Southern University this fall. Kristen hopes to pursue a career in nursing and work in the labor and delivery ward.

Sasha Milleman (Johns Island) ñ A rising senior at Clemson University, Sasha is majoring in Health Science and obtaining a minor in Spanish.

Matthew Miller (Summerville) ñ Matthew is a graduate of Summerville High School where he was especially active in the arts. He will attend Clemson University in the fall.

Yija (Jimmy) Mu (Mt. Pleasant) ñ Jimmy is a graduate of the Academic Magnet High School in Charleston, where he held a 4.9 GPA. Jimmy will attend Duke University in the fall to major in Biological Science.

Preston Myers (McClellanville) ñPreston has been accepted to the Francis Marion University aiming for a career in International Marketing.

Martina Nelson (Bonneau) ñ Martina graduated #11 in a class of 200 at Timberland High School in rural St. Stephen, SC, and is headed for USC in Columbia this fall.

Lauren Oree (McClellanville) ñ Lauren is a senior at Lincoln High School, planning to attend Trident Technical College in the fall to complete the 30 credit hours required to enroll in a bridge program at the University of South Carolina. Lauren hopes to become a nurse.

Jocelyn Paonita (Ladson) ñ Jocelyn is graduating from Fort Dorchester High School, and is beginning studies at University of South Carolina in Columbia.

Raven Smalls (West Ashley) ñ Raven, a rising sophomore at Clemson University, is pursuing a major in Occupational Therapy and achieved a 4.0 GPA in her Freshman year.

Ronniesha Smith (Wadmalaw Island) ñ Ronniesha finished her freshman year at USC-Aiken with a 3.01 average as a Business/Finance major after graduating last year from St. Johns High School.

Chase Yonce (Moncks Corner) ñ Chase is going into his junior year at Clemson with a major in Biological Sciences, aiming to be an orthopedic surgeon.


**A sampling of Funds that contributed to this yearís awards:

The Banks-Williams Banks Fund was begun in 1988 to provide an annual, four year award totaling $4,000 to a student from the Town of Summerville to attend the college of their choice.

The Rufus C. Barkley, Jr. Leadership Scholarship Fund was begun in 2000 near the end of Mr. Barkleyís life to provide an annual, four-year merit award totaling $40,000 ñ the Foundationís largest scholarship ñ to a student from Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton or Dorchester County.

The Morris D. Finkelstein Fund was created in 1994 by family and friends to honor the memory of the beloved coach at the High School of Charleston by providing a four-year college award to a scholar-athlete.

The J. C. and Alberta Long Scholarship Fund, the Foundationís oldest, was begun in 1982 by the children and grandchildren of the Longs, and it continues to honor their memory by recognizing excellence in todayís college-bound youth.

The Warren O. Pinckney Fund was created in 1973 through the will of Mr. Pinckney, an early African-American aviator who also worked with the US Postal Service. Thirty-five years after his death, the Foundation assures that his Fund continues to provide awards and biographical information about him to the students who benefit each year from his bequest.