Spherion Staffing and Recruiting (Spherion) has announced its largest individual scholarship gifts to date, awarding $5,000 each to two high school graduates, Kimarra Turner and Hannah DeGraaff. This grant is part of the fifth annual Sandy Mazur Excellence in Leadership Scholarship, established to honor the late Spherion President Sandy Mazur’s legacy of excellence, leadership, and community dedication.
- Scholarship Details
- Recipients: Kimarra Turner and Hannah DeGraaff, 2024 high school graduates.
- Amount: $5,000 each.
- Purpose: To recognize students who exemplify the leadership and passion of Sandy Mazur.
- Sandy Mazur’s Legacy
- Inspiration: The scholarship honors Mazur’s 18-year career and her commitment to excellence and community service.
- Scholarship Philosophy: Reflects Mazur’s “pay it forward” mentality, encouraging franchisees to support students in pursuing higher education and technical training.
- Fundraising and Contributions
- Recent Fundraiser: Spherion franchisees held an online and live auction at the Spherion National Meeting, raising nearly double previous years’ amounts.
- Donation Impact: 100% of proceeds from the fundraiser go directly to scholarship recipients.
- Selection Process
- Advisory Board: The scholarship selection is overseen by franchisees Beth DeLaney and Michael Chalmers, in collaboration with The Richland County Foundation.
- Applicant Review: The advisory board reviewed hundreds of applications and selected Turner and DeGraaff based on their outstanding achievements and potential.
- Statements from Leadership
- Kathy George’s Remarks: Kathy George, President of Spherion, praised the scholarship as a key event in the company’s efforts to support education and community development. She highlighted the successful fundraising effort and expressed pride in the achievements of the scholarship recipients.
The Sandy Mazur Excellence in Leadership Scholarship continues to honor Sandy Mazur’s enduring legacy by supporting exceptional students in their educational endeavors. The significant fundraising success this year underscores the commitment of the Spherion franchise community to empowering the next generation of leaders.
