Scholarship recipients celebrate opportunities made possible by Darla Moore
Blaise Purvis is about to do something no one in his family has done before: attend a big, four-year college.
With the financial backing of the Meeting Street Scholarship, Blaise is going to Clemson University this fall to study mechanical engineering.
“I’m very grateful for (the Scholarship) because it makes college way more affordable,” Blaise said.
Blaise was one of nine Scholarship recipients from Lake City who recently gathered at Moore Farms Botanical Garden to thank Darla Moore for helping make college possible.
In 2021, the Darla Moore Foundation partnered with the Meeting Street Scholarship to expand to serve students in eight Pee Dee counties. The event marked four years of the Scholarship in the Pee Dee and the first year that Scholarship recipients from the region graduated from college.
“I am so proud of everybody who is here because I know how much work it took for each and every one to get here,” Darla said.
John Huber-MacNealy, managing director of the Scholarship, said he was grateful for the opportunity to recognize Scholarship recipients’ accomplishments and Darla’s role in supporting their success.
“Darla is a visionary leader and has made incredible contributions not only to Lake City, but to our entire state,” said John. “The best part of our job is getting to spend time with recipients, getting to know their stories and it is an absolute honor to serve and help them realize theirdreams.”
Allie Strickland, one of the first Scholarship recipients from the Pee Dee to graduate from college, recently earned a degree from Newberry College.
“I was really grateful I could go to college with the Scholarship,” Allie said. “It really opened my eyes to know that people are actually warm and welcoming and want to help.”
Chandler Brandon, a rising sophomore at College of Charleston, said she didn’t realize there were so many Scholarship recipients from Lake City.
“I feel a lot more connected to the people around me, and it encourages me,” Chandler said. “It’s not just about keeping the Scholarship and having the money; it’s also about staying connected with the people around you in your community who are also striving to be better scholars.”
Sophie Purvis, Blaise’s sister, spent time networking with other Scholarship recipients and the Scholarship team and plans to head to Winthrop University this fall.
“I do know some of the people here and it’s so nice to have connections like that,” Sophie said. “It tells me that even though I’m scared of college, there’s other people in my position, and there are other people who I know that have gone to college and are like me.”
As incoming recipients such as Sophie prepare for college, recipients like Mystarria Jenkins, a rising senior at the University of South Carolina, are preparing for what comes next.
Mystarria is a biological sciences major and is spending the summer as an intern at HopeHealth, a federally qualified health center. After graduation, she plans to take a gap year to work in a hospital before attending medical school. During college, she has been able to save money for medical school because of the Scholarship.
“This is a very small town and you don’t get many opportunities here, so when opportunity knocks, you take it and we got it,” Mystarria said.
