Hampton Wildlife Fund names recipients of $24,000 in SC scholarship funds

June 01, 2022

The Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund on May 31 named the recipients of $24,000 in scholarship funds for the 2022-2023 school year. The Hampton Wildlife Fund annually awards scholarships to graduating South Carolina high school students attending in-state colleges, universities and technical schools.

Scholarships are awarded to students majoring in wildlife, fisheries, forestry, biology, zoology, marine science, environmental science or related fields. Awards are also given to those planning to study criminal justice fields and journalism.

Public education of wildlife and marine resources management and conservation is a major thrust of the fund’s purpose. Since 1995, The Hampton Wildlife Fund has awarded $653,800 in scholarships to South Carolina students.

Ten more scholarships were awarded in 2022.

Kailey M. Cheeks of Clinton won the Harry Hampton Natural Resources Scholarship, $5,000 per year for four years, and will attend Coastal Carolina University.

The fund’s new offering, the Thomas Webster Hardwick Jr. Natural Resources Scholarship, a four-year, $5,000-per-year award named in memory of a longtime Hampton Fund board member, was won by Katherine V. Buckley of Rock Hill. Buckley will attend Clemson or Furman.

Abbie C. Duncan of Lexington won the James O. Thomason Journalism Scholarship, a four-year, $2,000-per-year award. Duncan will attend the University of South Carolina.

James Jarrett of Batesburg won the Robert M. Gifford Scholarship, a four-year $2,500-per-year award going to the child of a S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) employee. Jarrett will attend Clemson.

The Wallace F. Pate Natural Resources Scholarship, a $2,500 award funded by the S.C. Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series, was won by Kierstin M. Griffith of Cope, who will attend USC-Beaufort. Clayton T. Weaver of Charleston won the $2,000 David M. Cline Scholarship for Law Enforcement/Criminology/Forensics and will attend Clemson University.

Two $1,000 scholarships are offered annually by retired SCDNR director and current Hampton Fund board member Alvin Taylor and his wife, Marian, for children of SCDNR employees.

Winners were Hannah Dozier of Hemingway, daughter of James Dozier, wildlife biologist and Jon Lawson Cope of Prosperity, son of Ken and Emily Cope. Ken is a DNR conservation officer and Emily is deputy director for Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.

The Hampton Fund also partners with the S.C. Wildlife Law Enforcement Officers’ Association to administer the organization’s scholarship program each year. Winners were Jon Lawson Cope, Presley Collins of Cameron and her sister, Savannah Collins. Each will receive a $1,000 award.

The Hampton Wildlife Fund is a private, nonprofit 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 SCDNR, they are not used to replace any of the department’s programs already supported by state appropriated money. Hampton Wildlife Fund has donated a total of $4.2 million to SCDNR over the years. The Hampton Wildlife Fund’s 14-member board of directors is chaired by J.B. Schwiers of Greenville and managed by executive director Jim Goller of Beaufort.

Find out more visiting www.hamptonwildlifefund.org or www.facebook.com/harryhamptonfund/.