Story by Courtney Williams / August 4, 2021
Brian Hicks | Post and Courier
The four college-bound freshmen sat on a small stage, recalling the things that had brought them there.
Their stories were similar, whether they came from Stall High, James Island Charter, West Ashley or Wando. They all had GPAs north of 4.0, which they’d kept up throughout the advanced placement classes, the extracurricular activities, the part-time jobs they juggled alongside life’s general struggles.
A guidance counselor or someone in their family — a mother, an aunt or sibling — had pushed them to apply for a new scholarship that would allow them to pursue a college degree without taking on crushing debt. Some were skeptical, worried that despite all that hard work, it wouldn’t be enough.
“I got all A’s, well except for one B,” noted Tre’Shauna Williams, a West Ashley High graduate.
They were all just as impressive as Williams. And in a few weeks, they head off to college: Nine to Claflin, 29 to Clemson, a dozen to Winthrop, 24 to the University of South Carolina and 20 to the College of Charleston. One’s off to Columbia College; another will attend Furman. It felt a bit like graduation, but their journey is just beginning.
On Sunday, the first recipients of the Meeting Street Scholarships gathered on Daniel Island for brunch in their honor. And there were a lot of them. Nearly 100 Charleston County School District graduates qualified for the inaugural scholarship fund established by local philanthropists Ben and Kelly Navarro.
The scholarships provide $10,000 a year to any student who graduates from a Charleston County public school eligible for both a state education lottery LIFE scholarship, which is based on academic achievement, and a federal Pell Grant, which is based on financial need.
It’s an idea the Navarros just announced in December when these students were almost finished with the first semester of their senior year. “You didn’t know the scholarship would be here, but you did the work anyway,” Ben Navarro told the group. “I hope you’ll be optimistic about your future. I’m rooting for you.”
The Navarros are not only cheering on these young people, they’ve changed their lives. You see, lottery scholarships and Pell Grants won’t even cover tuition at most four-year colleges these days. And then there’s the ever-increasing cost of housing, food, and books.
For many people, higher education is simply impossible without going deeply into debt. The average person graduates college today owing nearly $30,000. But for these students, the Meeting Street Scholarships cover that gap.
“This scholarship was truly a blessing for me,” said Ivy Grinnage, a recent graduate of Early College High, who’s going to Winthrop to become a secondary education teacher. “This … takes away that stress of how are we going to pay for this.”
The 96 graduates who qualified for these scholarships this year represent a nearly $1 million investment from the Navarros — and that’s only for the first year. It’s impressive, but not surprising. The couple long ago proved their commitment to public education.
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