Give Greenville: Zavier Shaw, Panther Preferred Scholar

Published: April 13, 2021

Zavier Shaw 23 faced a lack of support from teachers early in high school, and his grades suffered. He eventually turned his studies around and resolved to find his purpose in life, but without a top-tier GPA, he worried about landing college scholarships.

Donors to GUs new Panther Preferred scholarship program offered an intriguing alternative: scholarship money based on character, service, and academic determination, not letter grades.

Zaviers battle to improve his grades in high school had certainly cultivated academic determination, so he investigated GU as an option.

This was the only university that, when I took a tour of campus, felt like home, he says. Plus, the campus community would support his growing faith. Zavier applied for and received a Panther Preferred Scholarship.

One month before his first semester at GU, Zavier felt a strong call to ministry. He could barely believe it; hed never considered ministry before, and the prospect lay far outside his comfort zone. But he trusted God and declared a ministry major freshman year.

I plan to continue my walk with God to make me the best man I can be for ministry, he says. He takes advantage of mentoring and discipleship from professors and from his track and field coach, Brian Patton.

Scholarship programs at other schools might have overlooked this determined young man. GU donors to the Panther Preferred Scholarship saw Zavier for who he really is.

Zavier sees the same story play out among his fellow Panther Preferred recipients. I have met many people who have this scholarship whom I can see doing great things in this world, he says.

Join #GiveGreenville and support determined men and women of God like Zavier as they follow their calling.