Columbia, SC—Antonia Adams, a junior at the University of South Carolina (UofSC) Honors College, was awarded Wednesday the Southern Education Foundation’s Ginny Looney Servant Leader Award. Adams was a summer fellow in the SEF’s Southern Education Leadership Initiative (SELI) and interned at the SC Commission on Higher Education (CHE).

Adams’ student outreach work supports the CHE’s ASCEND 60x30 goal: 60 percent of South Carolinians will attain a high-quality postsecondary credential or degree by 2030. At the CHE, Adams was responsible for helping manage the National College Attainment Network grant initiative, 3-2-1 Complete, to assist high school students with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For the initiative, Adams coordinated a team of volunteers who visited high schools, colleges, and churches throughout the state.  Volunteers personally assisted students with their applications and answered questions about federal financial aid.

Adams also assisted with developing a College Process Ambassador Program. This fall, the program will select high school seniors to serve as ambassadors to communicate with their peers about college application and student success resources. The ambassadors will also engage in community outreach, assist on statewide FAFSA completion efforts, and receive a scholarship and support from the CHE once they enter college.
 
Adams’ FAFSA completion work has been a tremendous service to South Carolina’s students and the state. The COVID-19 pandemic interfered with the efforts of many rural and urban students to complete the FAFSA. Declines in FAFSA completion have been concerning, as the application is widely held as an eligibility requirement for institutional, state-based, and federal aid, and has been shown to be highly predictive of a student’s immediate enrollment in postsecondary education.

Named in memory of Atlanta-based attorney Ginny Looney, Adams’ award also shows her commitment to ethics, restoring faith in government, and serving the community. As a recipient, Adams received a stipend to support her continued service work and a donation to a nonprofit of her choosing. Adams selected Women In Unity, an organization supporting positive change in the lives of disadvantaged children in her hometown of Edgefield, South Carolina. 

Adams, a business economics major, remarked, “I am very grateful for this award, the opportunity to serve as a SELI Fellow at the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, and to be recognized for the equity work that I led and participated in this summer.” Adams will return to the CHE this fall to continue her impactful work. 

A link to a video about Adams may be accessed here.