A gift of $25,000 from First Citizens Bank of Greenwood will establish the first endowed scholarship for the Master's Degree Program in Lander University's College of Business.
The scholarship will be designated for first-generation college graduates seeking a master's degree in business, said Jerry Stevens, '93, senior vice president and market executive with First Citizens Bank.
"Throughout its 125-year history, First Citizens has been committed to giving back to the communities that it serves," said Stevens. "We hope this gift will have an impact for first-generation students and help remove the financial obstacles facing many students who want to pursue graduate studies."
The gift comes at a time when the University is marking record growth, said Lander President Dr. Richard Cosentino.
"Our University appreciates the confidence that First Citizens has in the job that we are doing to educate our students. Our enrollment was a record high for the 2020-21 academic years, and First Citizens' long commitment to undergraduate student education has boosted those efforts," Cosentino said. "This scholarship is an important investment as Lander seeks to enhance its graduate-degree program in business and educate the state and nation's future business leaders."
The new scholarship offers an incentive for graduate students to consider Lander for their education, said Dr. Mick Fekula, dean of Lander's College of Business.
"Graduate scholarships often are rare in comparison to those offered for undergraduate students," Fekula said. "We hope this partnership with First Citizens will open the door to more opportunities for our graduate business program."