MEET A SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Jabbarrius Ervin ’20 • Greenwood, SC
Judge Richard E. Fields Scholarship
Hibernian Society Foundation Scholarship
Richard H. Gadsden, Sr. Scholarship
Jabbarrius Ervin ’20 is one of those rare young people you meet and can’t wait to see what they accomplish in life. The moment he stepped on campus, he had a plan for his undergraduate experience. And he had the passion and drive to make it happen. After talking with him for a few moments, it is easy to see where that drive comes from.
Ervin and his older brother were raised by their single mother in Greenwood, S.C. “Although my mom had both my brother and me at a very young age, she did everything in her power to attend our local technical school and become a registered nurse. Education was always very important and highly encouraged in our household,” says Ervin.
As a chemistry pre-med major at CofC, he discovered a passion for health and science through his close-knit family. “I’ve always considered my mom becoming a nurse and my older brother having Cerebral Palsy as my motivations to be successful in this world. My brother’s situation specifically assisted in my aspiration to be a part of the medical field and my desire to help others,” he says.
Ervin was able to focus on his dream of obtaining a medical degree and one day developing a program or facility for those with special needs because of support from the Judge Richard E. Fields Scholarship, Richard H. Gadsden, Sr. Scholarship, and Hibernian Society Foundation Scholarship during his time at the College. He hopes to provide his patients with a place of leisure, while also providing their basic medical needs as well as occupational and physical therapy resources.
“My scholarships have lifted a huge financial burden from my family, and they help me focus on my studies and enjoy the College and all of its aspects. They motivate me to continue to perform at my highest potential, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the abundance of support.” Ervin shares.
Along with being a resident advisor since his sophomore year, Ervin’s level of support has allowed him to participate in programs such as SM3, a minority program at the Medical University of South Carolina where students take part in a six-week summer health program at Louisiana State University. This opportunity for hands-on experience in the medical field is invaluable to a student going into medicine, and it could not have happened without his scholarship support.
For his final year at the College, Ervin received the prestigious ExCEL Award for SCAMP (South Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation) Student of the Year. In Fall 2020, Jabbarrius plans to attend medical school at University of South Carolina – Greenville.