South Carolina State Fair awards $530,000 in scholarships to 53 students

Image: South Carolina’s State Fair logo

Image: South Carolina's State Fair logo

(WCIV) — The South Carolina State Fair has announced the recipients of its 2025 Ride of Your Life Scholarship program, awarding $530,000 in scholarships to 53 high school seniors across the Palmetto State. Each student will receive a $10,000 scholarship, distributed at an annual rate of $2,500, to support their studies at any public or private college, university, or technical college in South Carolina.

The fair’s scholarship program, a self-supporting 501(c)3 nonprofit initiative, aims to invest in the future leaders, innovators, and community builders of South Carolina. Nancy Smith, general manager of the South Carolina State Fair, emphasized the program’s significance, saying, “Our scholarship program is all about planting seeds — investing in students now so they can grow into the leaders, innovators and community builders of tomorrow. It’s one of the most meaningful ways we contribute to the future of our state.”

This year, the fair was able to increase the number of scholarships from 50 to 53, thanks to a $37,000 donation from Circle K and EMC Tickets. One of the scholarships was specifically designated for a Circle K employee or their dependent, according to officials.

The full list of scholarship recipients is as follows:

District 1

• Sadie Ethridge – Palmetto Christian Academy
• Virginia Lesslie – Bishop England High School
• Peyton Moody – Wando High School
• Jonathan Pinckney – South Carolina Virtual Charter School
• Trystin Roberts – Whale Branch Early College High School
• Harlem Thompson – Cane Bay High School
• Eli Williams – St. John’s Christian Academy

District 2

• Rylan Barnhill – Pelion High School
• Mary Carson Eick – River Bluff High School
• Talha Islam – Spring Valley High School
• Peyton King – South Aiken High School
• Mia Lucarelli – Lexington High School
• Wilson Oxner – Gilbert High School
• Robert Watkins – Aiken High School

District 3

• Cayden Bradley – Fountain Inn High School
• Mya Chapman – Saluda High School
• Brooklyn Iseli – Walhalla High School
• Tyler Jenkins – West Oak High School
• Elizabeth Justesen – Greenwood High School
• Faith Kennedy – Greenwood Christian School
• Ziya Watt – Abbeville High School
• William White – T.L. Hanna High School

District 4

• William Bryson – Brashier Middle College
• Trevor Gearhart – Hampton Park Christian School
• Jay Patel – Riverside High School
• Miranda Poole – Dorman High School
• Palina Vasilevich – Chapman High School
• Emma Wise – Piedmont Home Educators Association/Fine Arts Center
• Madison Wyatt – J.L. Mann High School

District 5

• David Archie – Lewisville Central High School
• Christopher Jackson – Fairfield Central High School
• Brooke Lesane-Howard – Crestwood High School
• LaMariya McCree – Chester High School
• Taisean Montaque – Fairfield Central High School
• Trenton Spilker – Thomas Sumter Academy
• Camryn Wilmes – Wilson Hall

District 6

• Ashlee Berry – Clarendon Hall
• William Caulder – Williamsburg Academy
• Alexander Drakes – Westwood High School
• Edriana Glover – Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School
• Ian McLeod – Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School
• Niles Moye – Thomas Sumter Academy
• Kayla Rivero – Palmetto Scholars Academy
• Torrance Wilson – J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet School

District 7

• Grady Chapman – Wilson High School
• Caitlin Ferry – North Myrtle Beach High School
• Barnes Hall – Hartsville High School
• John Morrell – McBee High School
• Dorrien Murphy – Marlboro County High School
• Angelina Nguyen – Myrtle Beach High School
• Savannah Tyler – Loris High School
• Guoxin Zhong – HCS Scholars Academy High School

Circle K

• Kylee Perkinson – Scholars Academy High School

Applicants were required to write an essay on the theme “What does harvesting happiness mean to you, and how do you cultivate it in your life?”

Reflecting on the submissions, Smith said, “Reading this year’s essays felt a lot like walking the fairgrounds — full of real stories, big dreams and heartfelt moments. These students reminded us that happiness doesn’t have to be loud or flashy — sometimes it’s as simple as showing kindness or overcoming a challenge.”

The scholarships are awarded based on academic and extracurricular achievement, communication skills, need, and the completeness of the application, officials said.