ORANGEBURG - Manning native Kordell Walker was one of eight South Carolina State University students who were named Thursday as BMW Scholars. A company whose American-based factory is located in Spartanburg, BMW awarded a total of $64,000 toward those students' education.
"South Carolina State University is certainly pleased that our long-standing partner, BMW, has allocated monies to assist the educational needs of our brightest scholars," said Interim President Dr. W. Franklin Evans. Prestigious scholarships, such as the one offered to our students today, demonstrate the importance of cultivating and maintaining corporate partnerships and puts the world on notice that South Carolina State is indeed an institution that excels in preparing top-quality students and producing exceptional leaders."
"We certainly appreciate the generosity of BMW and its investment in the future of our scholars," Evans added.
Talent and Development Programs Clarence "Eddy" Bailey said BMW is a "driving force in the state of South Carolina's economic development" and "recognizes the importance of contributing to the state's workforce development by awarding promising leaders in the STEM and business fields opportunities that will advance their edcucational pursuits."
"We are pleased to award financial support to the BMW Scholars at South Carolina State University, the type of support that will help them realize their dreams and may ultimately contribute to the progress of South Carolina," Bailey noted.
Eligibility requirements for the scholarship include maintaining a 3.0 GPA as a full-time student, with preference given to students expressing an interest in the automotive industry.
Special consideration is given to students majoring in enginering, business, accounting and computer science. Recipients may receive up to $4,000 per semester for up to four years, as long as they maintain good standing with the university and keep up the minimum GPA.
Walker is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. Earlier in the 2015-16 school year, he was named the Tom Joyner Foundation Hercules Scholar by South Carolina State University. He was one of seven students to receive a $1,500 scholarship as the result of that award.
Walker is the 2015-16 president-at-large of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences. He has a 3.6 GPA and plans to pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering after graduation. He is also a member of the South Carolina State University Honors College.
Other BMW Scholars named at South Carolina State University on Thursday include Spartanburg's Nawal Bryant, a sophomore majoring in business management; Blackville's Amber Collins, a sophomore majoring in computer science, and Victoria Parker, a junior majoring in nuclear engineering; Orangeburg's Terkessia Hart, a sophomore majoring in nuclear engineering; and Columbia's Daquan Hough, a freshman majoring in business marketing, Damien Smith, a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering technology, and Jennifer Jeffcoat, a freshman majoring in nuclear engineering.
