One thing’s for sure: Laurie Fogleman knows how to make the most of her time. Since coming to the College of Charleston, the senior student-athlete has been mapping out everything from classes to meals by the hour for the entire week.
“My College of Charleston experience has been amazing,” says the Honors College communication major, adding that – even though she spends some 20 hours a week practicing and competing with the track and field team – her time at the College has been much more than running. “I love athletics at the College because I can not only have the identity of being a ‘runner’ or a ‘CofC athlete,’ but I am also able to have a life and identity outside of athletics.”
Indeed, while at the College, Fogleman has found her identity as a communication scholar and leader, being selected to participate in the selective Martin Scholars program – as well as other programs like Leadership CofC, the Mentor-Protégé Program, the National Millennial/GenZ Community and the Charleston 40 – and serving as an Honors Engaged Liaison and Honors Ambassador, a marketing and outreach student assistant for CofC Libraries, a student officer for Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, an Orientation intern and a volunteer for the Center for Civic Engagement, among other things.
“These irreplaceable experiences have allowed me to exercise my communication skills each day in so many ways,” says the Norwood, North Carolina, native. “I’ve learned from others who are older, younger, come from different countries and backgrounds, and have different views from me. I have learned the true power of connecting with people and listening to them share their stories. From practicing active listening skills to asking meaningful questions about different career fields to sharing my own knowledge of the College with prospective students, I have grown as a communication scholar. Each day, I strive to reach my goals of becoming a successful communication professional and leader.”
Frances and Craig Lindner
And she’s reaching those goals thanks in part to the Lindner Family Scholarship for Communications.
“This scholarship has lifted several burdens from my shoulders during this past year of unprecedented and stressful times,” says Fogleman, who served as a public relations intern at FishBait Solutions over the summer. “It has given me the flexibility to pursue unpaid internships and leadership positions. By allowing me to pursue so many amazing leadership positions and professional opportunities on campus, this scholarship has allowed me to continue to meet my goal of determining my perfect future career.”
Created by Craig and Frances Lindner to honor their daughter, communication major Christine Lindner ’12, the Lindner Scholarship program grants one scholarship to a student in each year of study in the Department of Communication. It is available to a first-year student with a stated interest in communication and a strong promise for a successful career in the field; to a second-year student majoring in communication; to a third-year communication major with a qualifying GPA and a record of success in his/her academic and professional life; and to a fourth-year communication major who demonstrates significant engagement in communication-related activities at the College or in the community.
“This scholarship makes me feel proud to be a College of Charleston student, specifically a communication student,” says Fogleman, who hopes to pursue her master’s degree in communication at the College and then a career in public relations, planning and branding events and improving organizations’ marketing strategies. “It is proof that my professors have done their jobs in molding me into a successful scholar who continuously returns to the classroom, eager to soak up more knowledge. Ultimately, this scholarship has provided me with an invaluable resource: confidence.”
For that, she will always be indebted to the Lindner family.
“Thank you for believing in my college experience and giving me that inspiration to work even harder tomorrow,” says Fogleman. “I will pay this kindness forward by continuing to be a lifelong ambassador for the College.”
