Big 7 celebrates 30 years of local scholarships

For 30 years, as the gap between regional high school students and higher education has widened, scholarships by the Big 7 Association have helped to bridge it.

The Big 7 is an association of local businessmen that was formed in 1989. In 1994, the Big 7 began giving out their first scholarships, and since then, has given out $200,000 across 220 scholarships to high school seniors at Barnwell, Williston-Elko, Blackville-Hilda, Bamberg-Erhardt, Denmark-Olar and Allendale-Fairfax high schools. On February 24, the Big 7 celebrated 30 years of scholarships with a banquet at Barnwell Elementary School and awarded over $15,000 in scholarships.

Throughout the 30 years of scholarships, tuition and fee rates at higher education institutions in America have risen 130 percent. In South Carolina, the cost of higher education is particularly high on graduates; At $38,360 on average per borrower, the state ranks fifth in the country for highest amount of student debt burden. This debt can prevent graduates from buying a home, saving money and having children. For Black college graduates, the burden of student loan debt is even higher: an average of $52,000 per borrower.

Hannah Waraich, a Barnwell High School graduate and current senior at University of South Carolina Honors College, spoke about her higher education experience and the importance of making it accessible to young people.

“It provided me with not only facts and figures, but critical thinking skills, empathy, and a deeper appreciation for the diversity of human thoughts and experiences,” said Waraich. “The importance of education goes just beyond personal development. It serves as a catalyst for the advancement of our community.”

Census data finds that in Barnwell, 14.3 percent of adults 25 years old or higher have a bachelor's degree; The overall average for Americans is 37.7 percent. In addition to helping elevate young people in communities like Barnwell, creating a path to higher education also helps prevent young people from being swept into the criminal justice system.

“A lot of people that I see here in the courtroom every day are not the ones who are educated,” said Barnwell County magistrate judge and Big 7 member Thomas Williams, who spoke at the event. “If we put them into the education system, they won’t get into the criminal justice system. This is not a political thing; this is a right and wrong thing. [We need to] give every child in this county the same opportunity to get educated.”

The students who received scholarships were Shamiya Hightower, attending Benedict College; Kaitlyn Simmons, attending Clemson University; Shontavia Tyler, attending USC Salkehatchie; Taylor Frazier, attending Lander University; Christian Smith, attending S.C. State University; Maurice Odom, attending Limestone University; Jakori Williams, attending USC Columbia; Enrique Frederick, attending Denmark Tech; Gabriel Hosey, attending USC Columbia; Cadence Brown, attending College of Charleston; Arian Williams, attending Clemson University; Zi’Yier Rice, attending USC Aiken; Emily Ulmer, attending Clemson University; and Emma Creech, attending Clemson University.

In celebration of the scholarships, singers Rochella Manual and Kristen JoyAnn Jamison performed with accompaniment from Randy Gamble.

“When you see these students, just remind them to stay focused, stay on track, [and] love themselves first so they can be the best that they can be,” said Hannah-Harding, the master of ceremonies for the event.

Elijah de Castro is a Report for America corps member who writes about rural communities like Allendale and Barnwell counties for The People-Sentinel. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep Elijah writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today.