Estridge has worked for the university for over two and a half years, doing both photography and videography. “I really think that USC kind of opened that pathway, in terms of academic and in-classroom training. But, more than anything, it provided me with a ton of opportunities,” he tells us.

Before working for USC, Estridge’s first full-time role was being a videographer for Rhodes Branding. But, in true Gamecock fashion, he got his start working in athletics for the university. As a new and creative media intern for the South Carolina Gamecocks, he spent two years producing and editing photo and video content for the athletics department, attending football games, soccer games, track and field meets and more. “That role taught me a lot about my field and opened up real world resources and information in SEC athletics,” he says.

Spending three years in USC’s journalism school, he tells us about the importance of pursuing higher education. “Being in-state and utilizing the SC Lottery Scholarship [LIFE] allowed me to come out of school with little to no debt, which put me ahead of the curve when I graduated,” Estridge shares. “My sister was also a Palmetto Fellows scholar, so that put us in a situation where our parents could support us a little bit.”

During his time at USC, Estridge was laser-focused on his studies, achieving Dean’s List every semester, President’s List for one semester and graduating Magna Cum Laude. He’s also now pursuing his Master in Business Administration from USC.

While he achieved a lot of academic accomplishments in school, he also participated in events and clubs for fun. “There are so many opportunities at USC that are not just career specific. I played ultimate frisbee for a while, but I also took classes in tennis, scuba diving and shag dancing. One of my biggest pieces of advice to incoming students is to utilize those fun little one credit-hour classes,” he tells us.

Passionate about higher education, Estridge feels he’s right where he belongs and loves being able to give back to the university as an employee, alumni and graduate student. “There’s a lot of groundbreaking research that happens at USC and at universities across the state. Higher education institutions, whether two-year or four-year, are economic vehicles for the state. They employ a lot of people, myself included. There are also a lot of opportunities for community outreach,” he says.

Impacting education across the state, the South Carolina Education Lottery provides a pathway to students in pursuit of higher education, and Estridge is proof of that. “For me, attending USC and having this scholarship put me in a position to pursue my dreams by returning to my alma mater and seeing the impact of the work I do here every day,” Estridge notes.

To learn more about the South Carolina Education Lottery scholarships and read additional scholarship recipient stories, click here.

Calhoun knew from a young age that he was interested in mechanical engineering. “I’ve wanted to do Mechanical Engineering since I was 8 years old. As a kid I was very good at math and problem solving and I loved designing things. I had an amazing grandmother that supported my dreams and taught me the basics and bought me learning sets to ensure my future would contain mechanical engineering skills,” Calhoun tells us.

Although new to USC’s campus, Calhoun is already finding his footing, with plans to become involved in BOND (Brothers of Nubian Descent), YoungLife and AAAS (African American Student Association) on campus, along with a packed class schedule. “I’m currently taking 6 classes in hopes of graduating a year early  Chemistry, Calculus, Intro to Mechanical Engineering, Constructive Disagreement, Intro to African American Studies and a lab,” he adds.

For Calhoun, transferring from Allen University to the University of South Carolina was because of USC’s engineering school and partially due to his South Carolina Education Lottery scholarship, which followed him from one school to the other. “The HOPE scholarship has made paying for college easier, as the amount of money awarded took care of my meal plan and additional fees,” Calhoun shares. “Truthfully, the price of college is steep, and earning these scholarships is almost like a gift for the hard work we put in. Every dime towards helping eliminate debt is always beneficial.”

Calhoun’s long-term goal is to do design and implementation for a large-scale company. He’s set to graduate in 2029 and talks with us about how his passions align with his career goals. “I enjoy leading others, playing sports and I’m extremely passionate about my educational achievements. I’m constantly researching new ways and ideas to learn,” Calhoun says.

To learn more about the South Carolina Education Lottery scholarships and read additional scholarship recipient stories, click here.

Before choosing USC, Cooper attended the summer seniors’ program, which immerses incoming high school seniors into college life, helping them create a clear path before attending university. “I really got a feel for life on campus. It introduced me to different majors to study and organizations on campus. That was my first taste of USC. Going through applications and seeing the undergrad, master’s and doctorate programs USC had to offer solidified my decision to come here,” Cooper says.

For Cooper, the opportunities that USC provides are endless. “My sophomore year, I was actually a research assistant for the School of Earth, Ocean and Environment. We utilized art GIS and coding platforms to understand how environmental impact statements, legislation and engineering advancements impact flooding systems,” she tells us.

Cooper says that this opportunity led to something incredibly exciting for her. “This led me to go to several different conferences. I attended the Water Environment Federation Conference (WEFTEC), and I was flown out to Chicago to learn more about the water systems in that area. I will also be attending this year’s conference in New Orleans,” Cooper shares.

Involved in a number of on-campus organizations, Cooper is part of the South Carolina Honors College, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and in the Mentorship Outreach Student Team (MOST). “This year, I’ve also entered the environmental justice coordinator role with the Office of Sustainability, where I lead events with other students passionate about environmentalism,” she says. “This has introduced me to different legislators and opportunities that helped me learn about policy and how it works beyond the classroom.”

She’s also served as a water quality intern for Gills Creek Watershed Association, a community service chair for the USC NAACP chapter and a research assistant for Professor Dean Hardy in the School of Earth, Ocean and Environment.

Cooper’s interest in water conservation started at home. “My family on both my mom and dad’s side have a strong history with agriculture. And while I wanted to go into that field, I kind of wanted to understand how agriculture worked from a scientific standpoint,” she reveals.

She goes on to explain how her hometown of Darlington, SC played in role in her interest. “I tacked on water conservation, because in my hometown, we have a lot of hydrological issues with our water system,” she adds.

For many students, the price of college is steep, and having a bit of help through scholarships can make all the difference in deciding whether or not to pursue higher education. “I think having that financial freedom a little but helps people know that a college degree is attainable, and that having that financial hardship isn’t a reason for you to not attend school, and it makes that decision a little bit easier for students. I know it made it easier for me,” she notes. “Having the [LIFE] scholarship is one of the main reasons I’m pursuing higher education, and I’m really considering the Master of Science in Environmental Health Sciences here at USC.”

Cooper dives deep into what the South Carolina Education Lottery scholarships mean to her. “It helped me financially decide which schools I wanted to attend and maintaining that in-state status and having this scholarship helped me gain research and personal opportunities at USC,” Cooper concludes. Passionate about advocacy work, she hopes to go into environmental policy and health upon graduation.

To learn more about the South Carolina Education Lottery scholarships and read additional scholarship recipient stories, click here.

Because of her South Carolina Education Lottery LIFE scholarship, she was able to graduate from USC with very little debt, and she loved her student experience so much that she had to do it twice. Brandes graduated with a Master of Education in Secondary Social Studies Education from USC in 2021, becoming the first in her family to receive her master’s degree.

As an undergraduate student, Brandes thought she wanted to study journalism and majored in it before making the switch to history and education and keeping journalism as a minor instead. “I studied all sorts of things. I enjoyed learning about women in the Renaissance, the Civil rights movement in South Carolina, and I even took Italian language classes. I immersed myself as much as I could in everything that I had access to,” Brandes said.

Brandes first became interested in working for USC as a student after meeting her executive director. She took his fall senior seminar class in 2019 and found herself becoming deeply passionate about history. “I have always loved social studies classes, but I never saw myself as a historian until taking his class. I work with fellow historians every day to teach people about the civil rights movement,” she told us.

As part of her job, Brandes works with USC students regularly. “I just love being around undergraduate students and their vibrant energy. I love working with young people who are curious; being able to feed into their curiosity is exciting. I’m also going to be teaching University 101 classes this semester, so that’s even more exciting since I’ll be meeting and working with students every day,” she says.

Teaching and working with students on campus isn’t the only thing that Brandes does. She also plans and hosts a spring break trip for students, collaborating with other departments at the university. The goal of the trip is to showcase different civil rights sites across the South to students. “We take 20-25 undergraduate students who are eager to learn. We’re going to Washington D.C. this year, which is really exciting,” Brandes gushes.

Brandes credits the South Carolina Education Lottery for providing the LIFE scholarship, as she was able to pursue her incredibly exciting career path. “That [LIFE scholarship] was transformative money for me. I did not come from a household where I was going to be able to just pay for college in full. Achieving the LIFE scholarship meant being able to take a breath and knowing that I had something to fall back on,” she adds. “I would not have been able to travel or fully enjoy my classes without the stress of finances.”

She also talks about the relief of being offered these scholarships by working hard in high school. “As a high school student, you’re already stressed out about college and scholarship applications. So, not having to worry about applying for these scholarships, because those grades were going to show that you earned it, is incredible. It’s also just such a relief for poor students and first-time college goers. It’s life-changing money for so many students,” Brandes says.

To learn more about the South Carolina Education Lottery scholarships and read additional scholarship recipient stories, click here.

The 28-year-old chose biology as her major before switching to exercise science. “I choose biology since it was a very standard major. Then, I got into Bio 101 and quickly realized that I didn’t want to be a biology major,” she says.

Estridge was also a dance minor for a bit, until an injury caused her to stop. “I was a dancer and knew that I loved movement, so I thought about exploring exercise science since it seemed like a no-brainer. It was great prep for physical therapy, and I ended up loving it.” She explains. “As for these days, I focus more on running and strength training, but I occasionally break out my tap shoes to dance.”

Studying exercise science at USC led to a lot of opportunities for Estridge, including the opportunity to receive her Doctor of Physical Therapy. “Without the scholarship opportunities that I had, I don’t think I would’ve been able to attend physical therapy school,” she says.

While her undergraduate courses were a beast, Estridge talks about how rigorous her 3-and-a-half-year physical therapy doctorate program was. “My program focused on anatomy and physiology, body kinematics and rehabilitation principles. In my case, I studied the application of wearable technology to study activity in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. I learned all the appropriate evidence-based practices to apply to my career as a practicing physical therapist, along with important research methodology,” she explains.

Now, she works for her alma mater as a physical therapist and researcher. “I study falls and walking with the hopes to try to prevent and decrease falls. It’s really cool and a full circle moment to be able to now give back to the university in a new capacity,” Estridge shares.

But her opportunities didn’t stop there. Estridge was also involved in Omega Phi Alpha, went tailgating with the President through the Honors College and studied abroad in Canterbury, England. “I took three humanities classes, including the Psychology of Music and the Sociology of Food, which broadened my horizons and allowed me to understand education from another nation's point of view. I was often asked for my perspective on topics as an American, which allowed me to understand differences between similar nations. The classes were also very discussion-based, and I got to expose myself to as many ideas as possible,” she noted.

While spending time in England, she also became a well-traveled nomad for the semester. “Canterbury is about two hours outside of London, so I got to travel all over and experience education in a different country. I spent a lot of time traveling across Europe, visiting Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Norway, France and The Netherlands,” she added.

Estridge credits being able to experience a practicum and connect with others in her field in growing her passion for physical therapy. “The director of the program is very big in the world of physical therapy research. I was exposed to her work in undergrad and learned about the advances she’s made in physical therapy,” she tells us. “Getting to know her and some of these leaders really opened my eyes to what I could do post-grad.”

Recently, Estridge represented the South Carolina Education Lottery at the University of South Carolina vs. Mississippi State football game, where she gave a live interview, came out onto the field during the game ball presentation and received a football signed by coach Shane Beamer himself. “The game was so much fun! It was a great time and a super cool experience to be able to represent the lottery! Definitely not a game I will forget any time soon,” Estridge added.

To learn more about the South Carolina Education Lottery scholarships and read additional scholarship recipient stories, click here.

For Binnon, choosing an HBCU with her desired program was pivotal in her decision. “I chose Morris College because I wanted to attend an HBCU where I could receive an education while being surrounded by a strong sense of culture, community and history. My favorite part about Morris is the family-like environment. Being at an HBCU has allowed me to meet people from different backgrounds while still feeling connected to something bigger than myself,” Binnon says.

Choosing Morris allowed Binnon to follow her passions, both personal and professional, while investing in her future. “Being a recipient of the South Carolina Education Lottery HOPE Scholarship has given me an opportunity that I’m extremely grateful for,” she says. “College can be a major financial responsibility, and having scholarship support has helped make continuing my education more attainable. It has also motivated me to take my academics seriously and make the most of the opportunity I’ve been given.”

With the rising cost of tuition, textbook materials, housing, groceries, etc. Binnon also chats with us about the importance of pursuing higher education despite financial challenges, saying that these scholarships are incredibly helpful for students. “They [scholarships] give South Carolina students the opportunity to pursue higher education without having to carry the full financial burden themselves. College is an investment in a student’s future, but the cost can sometimes become a barrier. The LIFE, HOPE and Palmetto Fellows scholarships help remove some of those barriers and encourage students to continue their education and pursue their career goals,” she tells us.

During her time at Morris College, Binnon has already become involved on campus in the NCNW organization, along with several ambassador and scholarship-related opportunities. She’s also set to graduate in 2029. “I enjoy being involved because college is about more than just going to class. I want to build relationships, develop leadership skills, represent my school positively and give back to my campus community,” Binnon says.

To learn more about the South Carolina Education Lottery scholarships and read additional scholarship recipient stories, click here.

For her first year and a half of college, Shell attended Lander University, a public university in the small town of Greenwood, South Carolina. It was here where she learned that her love for numbers transcended beyond teaching. Shell transferred to the University of South Carolina in the middle of her sophomore year. As an Economics major and computer science minor, she got the best of both worlds, taking classes in accounting, finance, data analytics, computer programming, numerical analysis and more. “One thing I’ve always enjoyed is reviewing data and being able to tell a story with numbers," she says.

It was at USC where she figured out what her dream career would be: data analytics. And as a transfer student, Shell’s South Carolina Education Lottery LIFE scholarship followed her from Lander University to USC, so she didn’t have to worry about the financial burden of tuition, on top of other expenses like housing, groceries and more.

Upon graduating in 2021, Shell moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, aka the capital of finance in the South (the second-largest financial and banking center in the United States behind New York City). She started off her post-graduate career at TIAA as an accountant before moving on to work for Paymentus as a data analyst. “My job entails reconciliation, variance analysis and a lot of payment processing. We work with customers, or billers, and if they’re off by a certain amount in their bank deposit, we investigate that. A lot of my day is looking at numbers and Excel spreadsheets, which is super exciting to me. Math and data are like fun puzzles that need to be solved,” Shell tells us.

Shell credits the South Carolina Education Lottery for providing support into her dream career. “Being on the LIFE scholarship definitely had a positive impact on my academic journey. It helped me in obtaining my degree, which is huge because it reduced the amount of loans that I would actually have to take out,” Shell adds.

She also credits the scholarship for letting her focus on her academics and extracurriculars opposed to finances. “Because of the LIFE scholarship, I was able to work on campus in the IT department and pocket some of that money for extracurriculars and hobbies. I was also involved in a business fraternity on campus, attended lots of on-campus events when I could and made Dean’s list several times,” she says.

Once Shell learned that her scholarship could follow her to USC, she was on board with transferring. “My mom went to USC for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, which heavily influenced me in my decision, as being a second-generation USC graduate was important to me. I also wanted to be in a much larger environment, which USC provided. The business school is also one of the best, and I just felt like the possibilities for my academic journey and career were endless,” Shell says.

To learn more about the South Carolina Education Lottery scholarships and read additional scholarship recipient stories, click here.