#ThanksDonors for #ThanksCharles

A Q&A with the 2017-2018 CIC Alumni Society Scholarship recipients

When Charles Bierbauer announced his intent to step down as dean of the College of Information and Communications, friends and alumni rallied to honor his legacy by supporting a cause near and dear to his heart: student scholarships.

Cue #ThanksCharles. The crowdfunding campaign, which launched in April of 2017, asked donors to fund 15 CIC Alumni Society Scholarships in 15 days to recognize Bierbauer’s 15-year tenure. The fund was selected because it assists students in both of the college’s schools—and because it was on the verge of running dry.

The campaign was a success. #ThanksCharles brought in nearly $12,000, enough to fund 23 undergraduate student scholarships.

This year’s recipients are Frazier Bostic, a junior public relations major from Greenville, S.C., and Brian Mackenzie, a senior information science major from Plainsboro, N.J. We asked Frazier and Brian to share their stories with the donors who supported them.

What impact has the CIC Alumni Society Scholarship had on you this year?

Frazier: The CIC Alumni Society Scholarship has been an immense blessing. Financial stress has, unfortunately, been a burden throughout my college education. This year, I am thankful to relax. This scholarship has allowed me to focus more on my studies and has pushed me to be even more proactive on campus.

Brian: The CIC Alumni Society Scholarship has enabled me to focus on my studies without having to worry about finances. This summer I worked at an unpaid internship, so the scholarship really helped me to afford the essentials for my apartment and my textbooks for the semester.

What would you like to say to those who donated to the scholarship fund?

Frazier: Thank you for supporting CIC students! Your generosity is very much appreciated. By supporting this scholarship, you have helped students get even closer to achieving their goals. 

Brian: Thank you so much to those that donated to the scholarship fund. It means a lot to me to be recognized by the Alumni Society and I really appreciate everyone who supports my education and education in general.

Why should others consider supporting the Alumni Society Scholarship?

Frazier: Supporting the Alumni Society Scholarship is more than just supporting deserving CIC students. It’s an investment in their education. My mother is an alumna of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Her education propelled me to attend USC, and by supporting this scholarship, you’re encouraging even more future Gamecocks.

Brian: I would encourage anyone who values technological progress and the pursuit of knowledge to support the CIC Alumni Society Scholarship. The College of Information and Communications includes a number of important fields of study, including my own, information science. Scholarships like this one allow students like me to continue their studies in a quickly growing field that impacts the technology we use every day. 

What do you hope to achieve with your degree from the CIC?

Frazier: As a public relations practitioner, I hope to work with art institutions to raise awareness for art education. My entire early education was supported by art schools, so I am committed to connecting as many people as I can to the wonders of art. 

Brian: Currently, I am using the skills learned from my major to do web design for a fast-growing company in Charlotte, N.C.  Once I have completed my degree, I hope to continue doing web design. As the internet becomes more ubiquitous every day, functional websites that provide a good user experience are more necessary than ever. My education in information science puts me in a great position to understand the needs of the user while still creating a product that performs as it needs to. Ultimately, I hope to create web projects that both benefit people who use them and are accessible to everyone.

Charles thanks all who’ve contributed to #ThankCharles.  More than 20 scholarships will be funded for students in our two schools because of your support. Of all the things we do through our donors’ generosity, scholarships are the most direct way of aiding students.  The need just grows. 

Consider making a gift to the CIC Alumni Society Scholarship Fund an annual contribution.  Charles can’t thank you enough for honoring him by helping our students.

Ever wanted to sit down with Dean Bierbauer one-on-one and pick his brain about politics or his time as a White House correspondent? All donors who make a gift of $100 or more within the final two days of the #ThanksCharles campaign will be entered into a drawing for lunch with Dean Bierbauer.

With just two days left in our campaign, we have accomplished so much!  Thanks to all of our alumni and friends, we have currently raised enough funds to provide 16 undergraduate student scholarships. With our final two days, we have the opportunity to fund a total of 20 undergraduate scholarships and reach our stretch goal of $10,000.

Let’s not stop now. Please continue emailing, sharing and investing in the bright students within our college. Every dollar makes a difference!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have supported this campaign! In our first week, we have raised over $6,000 dollars and funded 12 student scholarships.

We’re so excited we have reached over 80% of our goal with 8 days still left in our project. There is so much more we can do. Because of the overwhelming support from our alumni and friends, we are stretching our goal to $10,000! With this goal, we can assist 5 more undergraduate students with scholarship support allowing for a total of 20 funded scholarships within the College of Information and Communications through our #ThanksCharles campaign.

Our donors have shown Dean Bierbauer a huge amount of thanks and support for our students. Let’s not stop now! Please continue to share our #ThanksCharles project. With your help, we can reach our stretch goal and assist a total of 20 students with scholarship support.