For more than a century, the SCBA has been blessed with the strong support of its member institutions and their employees. The Bankers Association believes offering scholarships to deserving children of bank employees helps demonstrate both its appreciation to member banks and their employees. It also serves as a means for building a path to a better, more prosperous South Carolina.
The SCBA understands that many students today often find themselves burdened by significant debt upon graduation. By offering scholarships to children of bank employees, the SCBA seeks to help students pursue higher education while also laying the foundation for the next generation of South Carolina’s leaders. Each Palmetto Scholarship awards $1,000.
Additionally, the SCBA Board of Directors is honoring the memory of two members of the South Carolina banking family whose lives were tragically taken during a bank robbery in 2017. We have established two $2,500 scholarships named after Katie Skeen and Donna Major of CresCom Bank. The Palmetto Scholarship Committee will select two individuals from the pool of applicants who will receive the “Katie Skeen Palmetto Scholarship” and the “Donna Major Palmetto Scholarship.”
To be considered for a SCBA Palmetto Scholarship students must:
- Be a resident of South Carolina;
- Be a rising junior or rising senior in COLLEGE, in South Carolina (must be an accredited four-year college or university in South Carolina);
- Have a parent/legal guardian who lives in South Carolina and works for a SCBA member bank, bank holding company, or wholly owned subsidiary in South Carolina OR [the student] be a part-time employee at a member bank working a minimum of 20 hours per week;
- Have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
- Be active in his or her school and community, demonstrate a solid work ethic, and possess strong leadership abilities, good teamwork and a desire to succeed; and
- Submit a resume and letter of recommendation from a dean or professor when completing the online application. Part-time employees of a member bank must have a letter of recommendation from senior management.
The submission process for consideration in the SCBA Palmetto Scholarship involves:
- Completing the electronic application (handwritten and/or incomplete applications will not be processed),
- Upload a resume, and
- Upload a letter of recommendation from a dean or professor. (Part-Time Employee: a letter of recommendation from Sr. Management)
How to Apply
Applications are accepted January – March of each year. The application will close at the end of that day. To apply, the student will click on the application link at the top right of this page.
Once the application closes each year, the Scholarship Committee will review and grade all applications and the students will be notified in the spring. A dessert reception and check presentation will be held in May. Stay tuned for more details on that event!
Have questions? Visit our Palmetto Scholarship Q & A page.
2021 Palmetto Scholarship Winners
Anderson Brothers Bank
Payton Barnhill, child of Tina Barnhill, Conway
Arthur State Bank
Gabriella Evans, child of Jessica S. Evans, Clinton
Haleigh Palmer, child of Dena Lancaster, Union
Bank of America
James Brighton, child of John Brighton, Hilton Head Island
Bailey Cardone, child of Matthew Scott Cardone, Greenville
Kaylin LeCroy, child of Christopher LeCroy, Clemson
Wesley Munn, child of Mark Munn, Charleston
Mattison Tenry, child of Deanna J Mann, Clemson
Bank of Clarendon
Brynne Baxley, child of Lisa Reed, Summerton
Elizabeth McInnis, child of Stacey McInnis, Manning
Bank of the Lowcountry
Jim Bunton III, child of James M Bunton Jr., Walterboro
Bank of York
Abby Good, child of Beverly Good, York
Carolina Bank and Trust
Caroline Falcone, child of Brain Falcone, Florence
Coastal Carolina National Bank
Ryan Riedinger, child of Marjorie Riedinger, Garden City
Coastal States Bank
Jack Spiehs, child of Ric Spiehs, Hilton Head Island
Community First Bank
Kathleen Champagne, child of Jennifer M Champagne, Greenville
Lakyn Tippett, child of Rhonda Tippett, Seneca
Conway National Bank
Olivia Sweatt, child of Roger Sweatt, Conway
Countybank
Savannah Huskey, child of Annette Scott, Greenwood
Nick Mumford, child of Dayle Mumford, Greenwood
Dedicated Community Bank
Davis Ivey, child of Jim Ivey, Darlington
First Capital Bank
Caroline Kornahrens, child of Brian Kornahrens, Charleston
First Citizens Bank
Josh Coleman, child of Russell Coleman, Columbia
Roger Hemingway, child of Cetra Hemingway, Conway
Delta Pennington, child of Dori Pennington, Aiken
Maddie Risinger, child of Gregory Risinger, Columbia
First Community Bank
Rachel Hair, employee of First Community Bank, under Drew Painter, Lexington
Joanna Kiker, employee of First Community Bank, under Travis McCormack, Columbia
First Horizon
Gray Whitener, child of Tripp Whitener, Columbia
First Palmetto Bank
Caroline Best, child of Marvin Best, Camden
GrandSouth Bank
Harrison Wood, child of John Beale Wood Jr., Greenville
Merrill Lynch
Cassey Nicholl, child of Cheryl Nicholl, Myrtle Beach
Sandhills Bank
Anna Brewer, child of Ralph Brewer, North Myrtle Beach
Jessica Brewer, child of Ralph Brewer, North Myrtle Beach
South Atlantic Bank
Lawton Branham, child of Beth Branham, Myrtle Beach
Sarah Johnson, child of Stacy Johnson, Myrtle Beach
Aaron Minter, Jr., child of Travis A. Minter, Myrtle Beach
South State Bank
Callum Allison, child of Michelle Allison Williams, Greenville
Michael Brunet, child of Claudette Brunet, North Charleston
Kaila Gleaton, child of Tammy Gleaton, Greenville
Jade Huang, child of Nancy Cox, Ellorree
Wallace Townsend, child of Frank Townsend, Aiken
Raven Walters, employee of South State Bank, under Katie Moore, Columbia
Marissa Wheeler, employee of South State Bank, under Rebecca Overmier, Mount Pleasant
Synovus
Sydney Tekac, child of Jerry Tekac, Charleston
Kristen Wixey, child of Angela Wixey, Sumter
TD Bank, N.A.
Jackson Ashley, child of Stephanie Ashley, Greenville
Kate Black, child of Tony Black, Lexington
Holly Granger, child of Jianwen Fan Granger, Charleston
Andrew Hunt, employee of TD Bank, N.A., under Joseph Chad Radcliffe, Lexington
Jacob Koenemann, child of Mary Koenemann, Greenville
Kayla Thomas, child of Susane Bloomfield, Lexington
Reet Verma, child of Rajesh Verma, Lexington
The Citizens Bank
Mabry Godbold, child of Joel Foster, Murrells Inlet
The People’s Bank
Porter Kirven, child of Coleman Kirven, Anderson
Jordan Whitfield, child of David Whitfield, Anderson
United Bank
*Dalton Arseneau, child of Douglas Arseneau, Garden City
*Carley Blackwell, child of Christy Blackwell, Taylors
United Community Bank
Joel Kenneth, child of Pittard Paige Pittard, Easley
Lauren Woods, child of Sharon Woods, Laurens
*Recipient of the CresCom Memorial Palmetto Scholarship