The James F. Byrnes Foundation Scholarships are living memorials to James Francis Byrnes and his wife, Maude Busch Byrnes. Since 1949 the Byrnes Foundation has awarded 1,184 scholarships for more than $6.9M total.
Mark your calendar for June 10, 2023, as we welcome our freshman Scholars, congratulate our senior Scholars, and celebrate our awards recipients.
Mila Barnett is from Greenville, SC, and graduated in the top 10% of her class at Mauldin High School. Mila enjoys drawing and spending time with friends. She plans to major in Psychology at the University of South Carolina with plans to pursue a master’s degree and become a mental health counselor.
Rachel Benton is from Charleston, SC, and graduated from James Island Charter High school among the top five in her class. She has two older brothers and two younger sisters. Her favorite things to do are read, hike, and play volleyball. This fall she will be attending Anderson University to major in Elementary Education. After graduation she plans on teaching in South Carolina and pursing a master’s degree in Education.
Wesley Bigbee is graduating from Powdersville High School in Greenville, SC. He will attend Southern Wesleyan University where he will major in Business. He will also play soccer and hopes to transfer to the Air Force Academy after a year for a chance to play Division 1 soccer and for an opportunity to serve our country. After college he plans to serve in the Air Force and travel. Wesley is an only child raised by his mom, Allison. He enjoys hiking, swimming, and investing in the stock market.
Michael Byrd is from Columbia, SC, and graduated from Spring Valley High School in the top 35% of his class. He is the oldest of five children. He has served over the last year as the Spring Valley Air Force JROTC Deputy Group Commander and as the Columbia Kappa League Chapter President. Michael enjoys playing golf and football in his free time. This fall he will be attending Charleston Southern University to major in Business. After graduating from college he plans to attend University of South Carolina School of law. He wants to be commissioned as an Air Force officer and serve as a JAG attorney, ultimately with plans of running for public office.
Steven Ray Clark II is from Anderson, SC, and graduated from Westside High School with honors, ranking 34th. He is the youngest of seven children. Steven enjoys fishing, working on cars and going out with friends in his free time. This fall he will be attending Lander University to major in mathematics before transferring to Clemson University to major in Engineering.
Alexis Ewing is from Aiken, SC, and graduated from Midland Valley High School. Lexi graduated 4th in her class and was involved in several organizations that made her school a better place. She served her senior year as Vice President of HOSA and was a member of BETA and National Honors Society all four years of high school. Lexi spent her high school years in Midland Valley’s Early College Program that allowed her to earn an Associate’s degree by the end of her senior year, alongside 14 other students. Lexi also was a Student of the Year Candidate this past year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and assisted in raising over $500,000 for LLS in the CSRA. She is the youngest of three siblings with 16- and 14-year age gaps between her brothers. She enjoys spending time with her two nephews and friends and loves to play and teach piano. Lexi will be attending the University of South Carolina-Aiken in the fall seeking a Bachelor's degree in Nursing; she hopes to attend Master’s program that will allow her to become a Nurse Anesthetist.
Luci Green is from Chapin, SC, and graduated sixth in her class from Chapin High School. She has an older sister who is currently attending Spartanburg Methodist College. During high school Luci was active in the band, the Naval Junior Reserves Officer Training Corps (NJROTC), Mock Trial, National Honor Society, and Beta Club. Luci is an avid reader and enjoys art and writing, as well as music as a flutist and pianist. She will be attending the Honors College at the University of South Carolina in Columbia with an interest in STEM and, specifically, plans to major in chemistry, physics, or astronomy. After college, she aspires to pursue a career at NASA.
Dylan Guion is from Fountain Inn, SC, and graduated from Hillcrest High School with honors. He most recently was a state finalist in track and field. In the fall he will attend Limestone University where he will run cross-country and track. He will major in physical education. In his spare time, Dylan enjoys any type of group sports, cheering on his beloved Gamecocks, or watching his little brother Mason’s baseball games . Dylan plans to attend the University of South Carolina to work on his Master’s in Education Administration. Dylan plans to return to the upstate and work with young athletes to help them to achieve their dreams.
Sean Hall is from Spartanburg, SC, and graduated, as class president from the Viking Early College, a dual-enrollment program partnered with Spartanburg High School. Sean enjoys fencing, reading, and politics. This fall he will be attending University of South Carolina-Upstate to major in Computer Information Systems. After graduating from college, he plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law to work on his Juris Doctorate and become a lawyer.
Emma Houston is from Simpsonville, SC, and graduated from Mauldin High School. She has a twin sister and a younger brother. Emma will be attending the University of South Carolina in the fall and will be taking a job as a color guard coach. She enjoys art, reading, and music. She wants to pursue a career in immersive design and plans to work for Disney, making props and creating artwork for the parks.
Maci McCutchan was born in Evansville, IN, and lives in Lexington, SC. She graduated from Lexington High School in the top 5% of her class. She will attend Clemson University in the fall majoring in nursing. After graduating from college she plans to return to school and get her Master’s degree in nursing.
Emily Quin recently graduated from Mauldin High School. In the fall, she will be attending Western Governors University to receive her Bachelors in Elementary Education. Emily received the ACE award this year because of her character and perseverance through tough challenges. In addition, Emily was awarded the Heart of the Mav award at Mauldin, which is an administrative selection award. After college, Emily plans to begin teaching right away and plans on getting her Masters after a few years. She hopes to impact students as greatly as some of her teachers have impacted her..
Kyla Rainey is from Florence, SC, and graduated from Wilson High School with honors after receiving over a 5.0 GPA and completing the Early College program that allowed her to obtain her Associates degree along with her high school diploma. Kylah also worked a part-time job as an afterschool assistant for a local elementary school, as well as being a tutor. At school she was the captain of the Mock Trial team. Kylah will be attending Clemson University in the fall as a Sociology major and intends to join several clubs and organizations. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree she hopes to pursue a Masters degree from Howard University.
Janiya Robertson is from Laurens, SC, and graduated from Laurens District 55 High School in the top 6% of her class. She has an older sister and a younger brother. Janiya enjoys singing and music in her spare time. This fall she will be attending North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University with a major in Biology and minor in Psychology. After graduating from college she plans to attend an outstanding PA school to receive her certification as a physician assistant.
Madison Tolomea was born and raised in Mount Pleasant, SC, just a few minutes away from the beach, which she frequented often. She has a younger sister, McKenzie, who is a freshman at Wando High School. Madison enjoys spending time with her friends and family, watching movies, and listening to music. She graduated in the top 10% of her class. This fall, she will be attending Wofford College to major in English, pursuing a newspaper career. After graduating from college, she hopes to attend the Columbia University School of Journalism to further her journalistic career.
Zeke Galloway – Clemson University: Zeke graduated with honors from Clemson University, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a minor in Financial Management. During his time at Clemson, Zeke was involved in the Flight Club, in which he earned his Private Pilot’s license and now plans to pursue his Instrument rating. He plans to start Clemson’s Master's of Real Estate Development Program in Greenville, SC, where he will study for 18 months. While in school, he will be working at Collier’s International with the Commercial Real Estate team.
Kayla Sanders - Benedict College: Kayla graduated summa cum laude from Benedict College, receiving a Bachelor's degree in Accounting. She served as a Harambee Ambassador and the SCREP Chair for the National Association of Black Accountants. She plans to find a full-time job in the Accounting field for a year or so and then return to school to pursue her MBA.
Hallie Keisler - Presbyterian College: Hallie graduated Presbyterian College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish. She graduated with honors and cum laude. Hallie was recognized as an Eric Johnson Fellow and was awarded the Jack and Jane Pruesseau Community Service Award. Her future plans are to obtain her doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Presbyterian College.
Lauren Elizabeth Crocker - Clemson University: Lauren graduated cum laude from Clemson University with a Bachelor's of Science in Health Science Cardiovascular Imaging Leadership. By graduation, she passed two national credentialing board exams and is now a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer and a Registered Vascular Technologist. She is currently in St. Louis, MO, working as a Cardiovascular Sonographer until she moves to Birmingham, AL, this upcoming August to attend Samford University and fulfill her dream of becoming a Physician Assistant.
Mylea Airington - : Upon graduation, she went on a 10- day trip to Greece with two friends. They flew into Athens and took a ferry to Paros Island, a small island between Mykonos and Santorini. This was their first time in Europe. They took day trips to Delos and Mykonos. She had the absolute time of her life and is planning a return trip soon. After the trip she spent a few days on Pawleys Island, SC, on a staycation. Then it was back to Charleston to start work with the company for which she interned to work full-time as the Material Logistics Planner.
Danielle Dantzler – North Carolina State University: Danielle will be graduating from North Carolina State University May 2023 with a Bachelors in both Biological & Agricultural Engineering and History. She plans on starting her career after college.
Dawson Green - Clemson University: Dawson graduated with honors from Clemson University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting. He will complete an internship with Elliott Davis, Public Accounting Firm in Charlotte this summer before returning to Clemson in the fall to complete his Masters of Accounting. In addition, he will be studying for and taking the 4-part CPA exam throughout the year.
Christian Richard Warhola - Clemson University: Christian graduated Clemson University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Pre-Rehabilitation. He obtained minors in Psychology and Spanish Studies, graduating magna cum laude with a GPA of 3.89. In addition to his achievements in the classroom, Christian was donned with the Kente Cloth, which is awarded to students committed to the advancement of diversity on their campus. His future plans include utilizing the intersectionality of his passions in Biology and Psychology to make advances in physical and mental health for the underprivileged.
Matthew Clary: No response received.
© 1998-2023 Byrnes Scholars. All Rights Reserved.
The James F. Byrnes Foundation
Post Office Box 6781
Columbia, SC 29260-6781
Tel.: (803) 254-9325