GU announces new Robert "Ish" Smith Champion Scholarship

Published: September 01, 2022

Greenville University’s new Robert “Ish” Smith Champion Scholarship awards students who have shown the ability to overcome adversity in their lives.

GU recognizes there are students deserving of recognition based on what they have been able to accomplish in spite of the circumstances they have encountered.

Robert “Ish” Smith (GU class of 1957), former GU baseball coach and president of GU, challenged students to be their best, often seeing their potential to be great before they saw it themselves. GU established the Champion Scholarship to continue recognizing champions, just like “Ish” did.

Champion Scholars:

• Display determination in their pursuit of education
• Show they can overcome hardship, whether physical, mental, emotional, other otherwise
• Do not let their circumstances defeat or define them
• Inspire others because of their grit and perseverance
• Prove they can excel because they do not quit

“At GU, we stand on the shoulders of giants, like former president “Ish” Smith– people who have gone before us and achieved greatness because of their character and will, and their desire to put others first,” says Suzanne Allison Davis, president of GU. “We will award students who have proven they have what it takes to be a champion in college and in life.”

Freshmen and transfer students are eligible for the Champion Scholarship and are required to live on campus. This $19,000 scholarship is renewable for up to four years while students remain in good standing with the institution. There are no GPA or test score requirements to be a Champion Scholar.

One hundred percent of students at Greenville University receive some form of financial aid. To qualify for this and other scholarships at GU, apply at Greenville.edu/apply.