First McNair Scholar finalists to be interviewed at FMU

FLORENCE — Members of the McNair Center Advisory Council will be on the campus of Francis Marion University beginning at 9:30 a.m. Friday to conduct interviews for the selection of two students to participate in the McNair Scholars Program.

The privately-endowed scholarship project designed to attract students dedicated to public service and community leadership is one facet of the recently established Robert E. McNair Center for Government and History at FMU.

The McNair Center Advisory Council, which is comprised of state and national leaders, will conduct interviews with finalists in the Cottage.

Former Gov. Jim Hodges serves as chairman of the council, which includes former Gov. David Beasley; attorney Steve Benjamin of McAngus Goudelock & Courie LLC in Columbia; Jim Morris of Genesis Consulting Firm of Columbia; Jaime Harrison of the Podesta Group of Washington, D.C.; Rita McKinney of McNair Law Firm in Greenville; FMU Board Trustee Gail Ness Richardson of Barnwell; and former Congressman John L. Napier.

Finalists for the scholarship program also will tour the FMU campus and interact with student and faculty panels.

The two McNair Scholars who are chosen will enroll in the fall. Additional McNair Scholars will be named in subsequent years. The students will receive free tuition, fees, book allowance and room and board for the four years they attend FMU. The PSARAS Foundation provided a $500,000 gift to the University to create and sustain the program and the Center in which it’s located.

In addition to their regular studies, McNair Scholars will pursue a unique program of study, which includes extensive study abroad, and service learning opportunities. Throughout their academic careers, they will be encouraged to participate in community-centered activities, especially those that benefit the Pee Dee.

The McNair Scholarship is renewable for a total of four years, provided the recipient completes 30 semester hours each year and maintains a 3.0 GPA.