Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Coastal Carolina University Creates Scholarships in Honor of Slain South Carolina Senator

  • 06/25/15

CONWAY, SC – Coastal Carolina University (CCU) will offer two new scholarships beginning in the fall 2015 semester that honor the memory of South Carolina Sen. Clementa Pinckney, according to a recent announcement by CCU President David A. DeCenzo.  Pinckney was slain in the June 17 mass shooting in Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church.

The $2,500 scholarship will be awarded annually to one male and one female from South Carolina’s District 45, which Pinckney represented in the state senate. The district includes parts of Allendale, Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties. Approximately 340 current CCU students are from the district.

“Senator Pinckney worked hard to advance educational opportunities in his district and throughout the state,” says DeCenzo. “He understood that education was the means to a better future for all South Carolinians, and he was dedicated to helping people achieve their dreams through knowledge.”

Eligibility for the Senator Clementa C. Pinckney Memorial Scholarship will be determined by specific criteria including demonstrated financial need and the maintenance of at least a 3.0 grade point average. The award can be renewed for up to four years.

“In the midst of this tragedy, the university recognizes the work of Senator Pinckney as an activist for justice and individual rights,” says Travis Overton, CCU’s vice president of student rights & responsibilities/dean of students. “In honor of his service, this scholarship will assist students from District 45 to pursue higher education. The tragedy has affected several students in our community, and the establishment of this scholarship focuses on the true meaning of Senator Pinckney’s work.”

Coastal Carolina University is a dynamic, public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in Conway, just minutes from the resort area of Myrtle Beach, SC. The university offers 67 areas of study toward the baccalaureate degree, eight master's degree programs and a Ph.D. program in Marine Science: Coastal and Marine Systems Science.
For more information about the scholarship, contact CCU’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at 843/349-2313 or email [email protected].

Featured

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.