MOUNT VERNON -- Brewton-Parker
College senior Sallie Kirkland of Hazlehurst has become accustomed to receiving
an educational grant from the United Parcel Service Foundation the past two
years.Kirkland, a broad-field social science major, said she began to think a third such scholarship was going to elude her as time passed without any word.
Kirkland, however, became a third-year recipient when Ione Maze, director of financial aid at Brewton-Parker, notified her in mid-November of her latest award from the UPS Foundation.
A wife and mother of three, Kirkland received her third educational grant of $3,500 from the UPS Foundation, which is the charitable branch of the world's largest package distribution and logistics company.
Kirkland is one of more than 665 UPS Scholars at private colleges and universities across the nation. These scholarships are funded annually by the UPS Educational Endowment Fund, which was established by the United Parcel Services at the Foundation for Independent Higher Education (FIHE) in Washington, D.C.
FIHE administers the program in cooperation with its Georgia partner, The Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges.
This year, the UPS Educational Endowment Fund distributed $2.3 million for its scholarship program, bringing the total amount of scholarships awarded to more than $32 million.
An additional $1.1 million in competitive grants were distributed from the fund in 2001-02 to improve educational services for students and encourage collaboration among colleges.
"For nearly 50 years, the UPS Foundation has been honored to support education through partnerships with such organizations as FIHE and the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges," Evern Cooper, president of the UPS Foundation, said in announcing the UPS Scholarships. "The Availability of quality, affordable higher education at places like Brewton-Parker College is critical to establishing a talented, more diverse workforce."
Kirkland and her husband, Joseph, live in Hazlehurst, and are the parents of three children. Their eldest son, Joseph, is a junior at Georgia Southern University; their daughter, Sherri, is a Jeff Davis High School senior; and their youngest son, Thaddeus, is 9 years old.
"Assistance like this as offered through the UPS Foundation grant is aiding my goal of earning a Brewton-Parker College diploma," Kirkland said.
"I plan to use my education to help others," she said. "I want to help through a special education program. My dream is to help not only the children, but to also help the parents as they work through the processes of raising special children."