They have dreams. They see possibilities. They know that – with the right opportunities – they can make a difference. They’re out to change lives, maybe even entire communities. And, together, they show a lot of promise.
In fact, neither the Goldsmith scholars nor Raymond and Georgina Goldsmith themselves can see an end to the potential. All they know is that it starts at the College of Charleston.
That’s precisely why the Goldsmiths – whose daughter, Isobel, graduated from the College in 2009 – seized the opportunity to create a scholarship that helps ease the financial burden of higher education for students in the College’s Bonner Leader Program, a four-year civic-leadership and development curriculum for first-generation college students.
Georgina, Isobela '09 and Raymond Goldsmith, photo by Jerry Siegel
“We all know that higher education leads to better opportunities, and if we can help these kids get the education they need in order to go out there and make the most of their lives and of the world we live in, that makes us happy,” says Raymond, founder and CEO of International Sports Multimedia Limited, an entertainment software company with offices in London, Barcelona and Atlanta (which the Goldsmiths call home). “Above all else, education makes the difference.”
If education is first, then community is a close second. And that’s exactly what impressed the Goldsmiths the most when their daughter was at the College.
“From the perspective of what the College did for Isobel, how wonderful it was for her and what a strong feeling of community that it has – we think everyone should have the opportunity to experience that,” says Georgina. “It has just the kind of warm, close-knit environment that nurtures students so they can explore all the possibilities that are out there for them. It gives them confidence – and I think they take away an appreciation of what it means to be part of a community.”
The students in the Bonner Leader Program certainly do. In exchange for a $2,000 stipend in their financial aid package, these students commit to 300–450 hours of community service and leadership-development training each year, participate in service-based summer internships and even travel to other communities to explore particular issues and help enact change. These students don’t just learn to appreciate being part of a community; they become productive, proactive community leaders devoted to civic engagement.
“These kids are giving back many times over, and I know that makes them feel good about themselves,” says Georgina. “That’s the wonderful thing about this scholarship – it’s not a handout, it’s an opportunity.”
And you can bet the significance of that opportunity is not lost on the Goldsmith scholars. For sophomore Martin Gonzalez, for example, it means getting one step closer to his long-term goal of becoming a pediatrician.
Martin Gonzalez
“It motivates me and re-motivates me every day,” says the economics major, who worked with the families of seriously ill children at the Ronald McDonald House during his first semester as a Bonner leader. “I like seeing the changes in their lives that I’m making – that’s why I’ve always wanted to work with medicine and children. So, when times get rough with my classes, I just remember how lucky I am to be able to make my dreams come true.”
For Brittany Counts, the dream of going to college began seeming unlikely to come true when she “realized that college tuition was almost as big as my dreams – and in my family, we don’t just dream everyday dreams. We dream dreams bigger than you can imagine,” says the sophomore, who – with the Goldsmiths’ help – made it to the College and plans to major in women’s and gender studies. After that, she wants to study educational law. “It puts a special spark in my mother’s eyes and makes me a real-life role model for my younger siblings and cousins to see my hard work pay off and me pursuing my dreams. I am a great inspiration to them.”
Inspiring future generations is just what Candice Coulter ’11 hopes to do upon earning her Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the College.
“I believe it is very important for children to recognize the problems in their community and be active agents of change to better their surroundings,” says Coulter, who decided to become a teacher when she was working at WINGS, an educational organization that helps at-risk youth build the social and emotional skills they need to become responsible and productive citizens. “The opportunities I received through the Bonner Leader Program have bettered my entire life. I realize that I can never repay for all the opportunities that I receive, but I can always pay it forward by helping others and empowering them to help themselves.”
Candice Coulter '11
The Bonner leaders are all committed to giving back, paying it forward to show their gratitude. And, as they point out, sometimes that’s as simple as leading by example.
“When you’re out there providing others with opportunities that they may not have had otherwise, you’re also providing an example to the youth in the community,” says Counts, who tutored five sixth-grade students in academics, financial literacy and character development at Metanoia, a community-development organization. “You may unknowingly change someone’s life and become their role model. You might be the one responsible for turning someone’s life around.”
It’d be a real confidence boost, for sure. But just interacting with different community members can be empowering for the students – who definitely see personal benefits in their service work.
“My service this past year has challenged me and helped me realize that I’m capable of doing things that I never thought I would,” says Counts. “I believe that you can find out who you really are through the help you provide to others. Service provides a fulfillment that is unparalleled by any other.”
It also builds character: Just ask the students who went to Ghana to work on malnutrition issues in a small orphanage for 10 days in May. It teaches trades: Just ask the students who flew to San Francisco last spring break to work in gardens and farms. And it hones skills: Just ask the students who work with Habitat for Humanity and Fields to Families on Service Saturdays.
“I’ve gained organizational skills and communication skills that I’ll use every day in my future career,” says Gonzalez. “In this kind of work, you have to learn to be flexible, to communicate, to work as a team. It’s all about the teamwork.”
The Goldsmiths couldn’t have said it better themselves.
“That team spirit is really something they can experience in this program, and it’s something that will help them be more grounded as they move through their careers and their lives,” says Raymond. “They’ll need that team mentality wherever it is they go in life. Community is always a team effort.”
Of course, so is education. And, together, they have endless potential.
