Five new endowed scholarships totaling $500,000 were recently established at the College of Pharmacy, thanks to donor support and matching funds from the UGA Foundation.
For the College of Pharmacy, the impact is financial; for Pharmacy students, it is life-changing.
“We are deeply grateful to the University of Georgia Foundation, under the leadership of Chair Allison Ausband, for offering matching funds that have strengthened scholarship support at our College,” said Dean Kelly Smith. “Thanks to this opportunity—and to the generosity of donors who stepped forward to establish endowed scholarships—more students will have access to the resources they need to excel.”
Michaela Duke, from Statesboro, and Gabrielle Tyler, from Savannah, are the recipients of previously established scholarship endowments. Michaela received the Sonny and Ben Ross Endowed Scholarship and Gabrielle the Broadrick Family Endowed Scholarship. Both of them recalled the feeling of relief that came with receiving the news that they had been selected.
“I was able to focus on my classes without stressing about the finances,” Michaela said. “I was ecstatic when I found out I was getting this scholarship!”
“I remember it seemed like a really long waiting period after I applied,” Gabrielle said with a chuckle. “I almost forgot about it, and then I got an email saying I had been selected. The anxiety about the cost of school just floated away, and I don’t have to worry about that any more.”
Both of them cited personal experiences as inspiration for their career goals. Gabrielle watched her mother serve as caregiver for her grandfather, who suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, and her grandmother, who struggled with mental illness. “I saw up close how much their lives revolved around getting the right drugs at the right time, and how much pressure that put on my mother.” Working at an independent pharmacy in Athens showed her the positive impact a pharmacist can have on individuals and families facing complex medical issues. Michaela’s interest in health care crystallized around pharmacy when she, too, worked in an independent pharmacy owned by Ben Ross PharmD ‘08, whose generosity extends beyond financial contributions to opening his network of pharmacies to students from the College. “I saw the commitment that pharmacists have to their patients and their community,” she said. “I hope to be a pillar like that in my community.”
The five new endowed scholarships were established by the following donors:
- Bill Rivers, BS Pharm ’72 and his wife, Anita, established the Bill and Anita Rivers Pharmacy Scholarship Fund;
- Kevin Florence, PharmD ’09, and his wife, Rachel, committed to creating the Florence Family Scholarship Fund;
- Jeff Sikes, BS Pharm ’79, and his wife, Jennifer, committed to creating the Sikes Family Georgia Commitment Scholarship Fund, a Georgia Commitment Scholarship;
- Ben Ross, PharmD ’08, and his wife, Lauren, committed to creating the Ross Family Scholarship Fund; and,
- Matt Donato, PharmD ’14, and his wife, Jamanda, and John Hyer, PharmD ’12, and his wife, Dorris, PharmD ’12, committed to creating the Hyer-Donato Pharmacy Entrepreneurial Scholarship Fund.
Duc Do, Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, explained that even though tuition at the College is among the lowest in the nation, many students still need financial assistance.
“These scholarships are quite impactful,” he said. “Many of our students commute from Atlanta; some are single parents; they are often working one or two jobs. Almost 20% are first-generation college students.
“Scholarships like these allow us to help the students who need it, and help their dreams come true at UGA.”
