TODD AND STEPHANIE HORNE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Todd Horne ‘05 and Stephanie Horne ‘06
When Todd and Stephanie Horne visit the beautiful USC Upstate campus with their two young children, Harper and Holton, they feel immensely proud of their university. Originally planning to leave after their freshman year, they’re both grateful they chose to remain at Upstate.
“For us, this gave us our education, our foundation. It brought us together as a couple and we are very indebted for that,” says Todd Horne. “We owe a lot to this university, which is why we’ve decided to endow the scholarship.”
Horne, president of Clayton Construction Co., has been active in many Spartanburg and USC Upstate organizations, including OneSpartanburg, the Spartanburg County Commission for Higher Education, and the USC Upstate Foundation board. “It’s a great time to be in Spartanburg and a great time to be part of the Upstate,” he says.
Stephanie Horne, an elementary school teacher at Spartanburg Christian Academy, shares her husband’s commitment to giving back. “Paying it forward where there is a need is something we are passionate about,” she says. “We don’t want to hold back or hinder anyone who may continue to move forward in their career or their education and be a future leader.”
Adds Todd Horne, “I know for a fact that this community wants to make sure that everybody gets an opportunity for an education who wants one.”
The scholarship will be awarded to students who meet the eligibility criteria for need-based financial aid.
J. ROBERT AND DORIS ANN MAUNEY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Doris Ann Mauney, ‘75
In 1973, when Doris Ann Mauney enrolled in the nursing program at USC Upstate (then USC Spartanburg), a three-year associate’s degree was all that was offered. And there were only two buildings on campus. Mauney recalls, “The Hodge Center was brand-new. I was the first nursing class to be in the Hodge Center.”
While much has changed since then, the need for student aid has not. “I was given scholarships to come to nursing school, and I would really like to give back,” Mauney says. “If students are going into nursing, it’s almost like a calling to go into health care.” She and her husband, Bob, a wealth management consultant for Merrill Lynch, talked it over and decided to split their gift between their respective alma maters, USC Upstate and Clemson. The gift has additional meaning because their oldest daughter is also a USC Upstate alum.
“I’m very impressed with how far (the program) has come. They even have the doctorate program now,” Mauney says. Her husband adds, “We were also really impressed that there were about a thousand nursing students at the present time, which is amazing.”
The scholarship will be awarded to students majoring in nursing. Preference will be given to a Spartanburg County resident.
VICTOR AND JACQUELYN AUSTIN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Victor Austin, ‘90
Victor Austin’s commitment to support USC Upstate began on a summer’s day when he was finishing his bachelor’s degree. “I remember walking across the quad as a student and I said to myself, ‘This university has been so good to me.’ In the future, I just made a promise that I would always try to do whatever I could to help the university.”
Austin, president and CEO of Palmetto Home Care Upstate, has been faithful to that promise, considering it a call from God to give back. He began by giving his time and serving on boards: first the Alumni Association, then the Foundation Board, and now the Spartanburg County Commission for Higher Education.
Aware that universities need funding in all areas, Austin first donated to the Spartans basketball program and increased his support from there. He’s motivated by recalling how fortunate he was as a student to have people behind him, pulling for him to succeed. By starting an endowment, he hopes to help students who are trying to help themselves.
“This endowment could be a determining factor for why someone stays in school,” Austin says. Quoting his godmother, he adds, “Sometimes the wagon just needs a little help getting up the hill.”
The scholarship(s) will be awarded to students who meet the eligibility criteria for Aspire Scholarships. Additionally, the support fund will benefit student programming that helps students achieve success.
TONEY AND CYNTHIA LISTER ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Toney Lister’s association with USC Upstate began before there was even a campus. As a Boiling Springs teenager, Lister would regularly drive to the Smith Dairy Farm and nearby peach orchards, land the university now occupies.
Roughly five years after the University was founded, Lister was elected to the South Carolina General Assembly. “I remember older politicians going before the Ways and Means Committee in Columbia, seeking money for this campus,” he recalls. “And I learned how to beg from them as a member of the General Assembly.”
Lister has repeatedly demonstrated his commitment to Upstate’s mission. “I was on the board of trustees for 29 years, so it was natural that USC Upstate was a part of my life from the beginning,” he says.
Having practiced law for 40 years, Lister also is aware of the benefits an education provides. He remembers that when he was a student, he had to rely on a combination of scholarships, grants, loans, family and jobs to get him through. “I’m very sympathetic to local students who are needing a little financial aid,” he says.
But the endowment reflects an even deeper commitment to the institution itself. “You actually have the campus become a part of your life if you stay involved,” Lister says. “It’s the personal involvement associated with this campus, and the pleasure that it has provided over the years.”
His wife, Cynthia, agrees, adding, “The local people got this university started, so there was a real buy-in from the community. This was local people seeing a need, which is a lot of the connection.”
The scholarship(s) will be awarded to students who meet the eligibility criteria for need-based financial aid.