The 2020 Jenkins-Brooker Memorial Scholarship Recipients
A. J. Brooker Financial Associates is proud to award its 2020 Jenkins-Brooker Memorial Scholarship to the following students who are committed to using their vote and educations to make a positive difference and change the world.
Roderick Allen Gaines
Roderick graduated from Spring Valley High School, Columbia, SC. He plans to attend the University of South Carolina to major in Business with a minor in Biology. As a student, Roderick served his peers on Spring Valley’s Student Council and as Vice President of the Young Investor’s Club. He also serves those in need by volunteering with his church’s homeless outreach ministry and Prisma Health Richland Hospital. Roderick is working towards a career in Dentistry with plans to own and operate a dental practice.
Why Roderick is a Jenkins-Brooker Memorial Scholarship recipient…
When it comes to the power and the importance of his vote as a young Black man, Roderick says “our votes matter, and America knows this. We are stronger and we build better community connections when we excel together.”
Faith James
Faith is an honor graduate of Westwood High School, Blythewood, SC. She plans to attend the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina to major in Marketing. Faith enjoys photography and public speaking. In the past, she has served her community as a Special Olympics and nursing home volunteer and her school as a varsity cheerleader and Miss Westwood High School.
Why Faith is a Jenkins-Brooker Memorial
Scholarship recipient…
Faith’s commitment to vote in every election was instilled by stories of how her grandparents endured literacy tests and Jim Crow laws to exercise their right to vote. Her conviction can be summarized by the words of Desmond Tutu when he said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” For these reasons, she is determined to honor the legacy of her ancestors by using her education and vote to stand up for what is right.
Taylor Marie Edens Ward
Taylor graduated from Sumter High School, Sumter, SC, before living abroad for one year in Belgium while participating in the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. She plans to attend the University of Louisville to major in Psychology and is excited about extracurricular clubs and opportunities that the University of Louisville has to offer. She is especially looking forward to spending time at one of her favorite attractions, the Speed Art Museum in Louisville.
Why Taylor is a Jenkins-Brooker Memorial
Scholarship recipient…
Within Taylor’s response to what COVID-19 taught her about the power of the vote, she articulated that “to be simply ‘not racist’ is not enough. Anti-racism is the only way to begin solving the problem of racism in our country. And as much as I wish racism were just a one-solution easy fix, the reality is that it is going to be a process—a long, hard process. But the first easy step to this long, hard process is to vote. VOTE! VOTE! VOTE”!