United Way of Greenville County, through its African American Leadership Affinity Group, announced April 9 it is awarding multiple $5,000 scholarships to graduating seniors in Greenville County.
The scholarships are the Judge F. Merl Code Scholarship, which recognizes students who demonstrate academic excellence, community service and financial need, and the Marvin Monroe Ward Legacy Scholarship, which supports purpose-driven students committed to serving their community.
United Way of Greenville County has also launched a pitch program for emerging Black leaders graduating in 2026 who have maintained a 3.0 grade point average or higher. Students interested in participating in the competition will be asked to imagine if they had $1 million to invest in the Greenville community, how they would create meaningful change.
The finalists will present live at the Black Futures event before a panel of AAL Council members, United Way of Greenville County board members and community leaders. The winners will receive $3,000 for first place, $1,500 for second place and $1,000 for third place.
“We believe in investing in the next generation of Greenville’s leaders. These scholarships and the pitch competition are our way of saying: we see you, we believe in you and we are ready to help you build the future you envision,” said Kim Macklanburg, chair of African American Leaders Affinity Group, United Way of Greenville County.
Applications for the scholarships and pitch competition are due by April 19. For more information, visit unitedwaygc.org/aal-scholarship.
