The Hampton Wildlife Fund announced it is awarding $25,000 in new scholarships to eleven students for the 2024-2025 school year. The Fund will also renew an additional $31,500 in continuing 4-year scholarships for nine prior year recipients, bringing the total awarded to $56,500. Four students won 4-year scholarships: Marissa Wetzel of North Augusta and Alexandra White of Greenville each won 4-year awards worth $5,000 per year; Clara Brown of Greenwood won a 4-year award worth $2,500 per year and Silas Carr of Ladson won a 4-year award worth $2,000 per year.
“We are committed to providing deserving Palmetto State students with opportunities to advance their college educations,” said HWF executive director Jim Goller of Beaufort and a DNR retiree. “By doing so, we hope some of these students stay here in South Carolina and contribute to its workforce.
The Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund, Inc. (Hampton Wildlife Fund, HWF) is a private, non-profit corporation which partners with SCDNR for the promotion of natural resources and natural resource education, which benefits the conservation of wildlife, marine and other resources in South Carolina. Funds are obtained solely through private donations and special promotional projects and fundraising events. Although some of the funds are donated to special projects run by the DNR, they are not used to replace any of the department’s programs already supported by state appropriated money.
Public education of wildlife and marine resources management and conservation is a major thrust of the fund’s purpose. Scholarships are annually awarded to S.C. resident students who attend S.C. institutions of higher learning majoring in wildlife, fisheries, forestry, biology, zoology, marine science, environmental science or related fields, with one awarded annually in the field of law enforcement/criminal justice and one in the field of journalism. Since 1995, The Hampton Wildlife Fund has awarded over $1.15 million in scholarships to S.C. students.
Winning students are:
Marissa Wetzel, North Augusta SC, USC – Aiken, Harry Hampton Scholarship
Alexandra White, Greenville SC, Clemson, Thomas W. Hardwick Jr. Scholarship
Silas Carr, Ladson SC, Clemson, James O. Thomason Scholarship
Clara Brown, Greenwood SC, Duke, Robert M. Gifford Scholarship
Kayle Brown, Beaufort SC, Charleston Southern, David M. Cline Scholarship
Genoa Hainsworth, Chapin SC, USC Honors, Wallace F. Pate Scholarship
William Urquhart Jr, Florence SC, Lander, Taylor Family Scholarship
William Barnes, Little Mountain SC, Clemson, Taylor Family Scholarship
Owen Barker, Columbia SC, Mississippi State, SC Wildlife Law Enforcement Officers Association Scholarship
Connor Robinson, Lexington SC, Tri-County Tech, SC Wildlife Law Enforcement Officers Association Scholarship
Ethan Williams, Cameron SC, Georgia Southern, SC Wildlife Law Enforcement Officers Association Scholarship
