Hard Work and Character
Pay Off From a young age, Andrew Slemaker knew that he wanted to attend The University of Southern Mississippi. After joining his father at countless Southern Miss sporting events, he was destined to bleed black and gold. When Slemaker graduated from high school, he set his dream of being a Golden Eagle aside and took basic courses at Jones County Junior College. After two semesters at JCJC, Slemaker felt he lacked the focus he needed as a college student. He withdrew from JCJC and worked for his father at a uniform plant in Columbia, Miss. “Taking a break from college and being in the workforce at a plant made me realize my goals for my future career,” said Slemaker. “I really became interested in banking and finance, and I knew by attending Southern Miss, I would have greater opportunities to achieve my goals.” When Slemaker enrolled as a Finance major at Southern Miss in spring 2010, he became more engaged in his classes because he had a strong interest in the curriculum. In the spring semester of 2011, Slemaker received the College of Business Merit Scholarship in recognition of his character, integrity, work ethic and commitment to finish his degree. Hyler Bracey, Cass Flagg (Bracey’s wife) and Aubrey Sanford, all who are either alumni and/or former professors at Southern Miss, created the scholarship to acknowledge integrity, willingness to work hard, commitment to finishing a degree, financial need and strong academic performance. Rather than putting their names on the scholarship, they wanted the College of Business Merit Scholarship to give everyone the opportunity to make a difference in someone else’s life.
By receiving the scholarship, which provides full tuition and a book allowance, Slemaker was able to set a clear focus on his future and flourish during his last two semesters at Southern Miss. “This scholarship has given me the opportunity to meet a lot of people,” said Slemaker. “I am grateful for the relationships I have been able to form with people who have dedicated much of their time to me and offered valuable advice that will help me in my future career.” Slemaker was admitted into the Business Honors House, received the Mississippi Young Bankers’ Leadership Scholarship as the top Finance junior in the state, and was named a Swayze finalist as one of the top five Finance students in Mississippi. In summer 2012, he had the opportunity to intern at Sanderson Farms in the accounting department. “Andrew is a perfect model of the students we want to help. His good character and great grades assure us that he will be a fine representative of Southern Miss,” said Bracey. “We hope that others will join us in making a difference in the lives of students like Andrew by contributing to this scholarship.” After graduating in December 2012, Slemaker accepted a credit analyst position with The First, A National Banking Association, in Hattiesburg. He reflects on his time at Southern Miss as the starting point to a successful future. “Southern Miss feels like home. I never doubted that I would end up there, and even though it took a few years to find my way, I would have otherwise never received this scholarship which has truly changed my life.”
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