OXFORD, Miss. – Renasant Bank has committed $100,000 to create a new
type of scholarship and to provide other support for the School of
Business Administration at the University of Mississippi.
“Renasant Bank is proud to support the University of Mississippi
through the Ole Miss First scholarship fund and the Renasant Bank Fund
for Business Excellence,” said E. Robinson McGraw, Renasant Bank
chairman and CEO. “This is a tremendous opportunity to invest in and
mentor Mississippi’s future business leaders, and we look forward to
helping our state’s best and brightest learn the fundamentals needed
for successful business careers.”
Of the total amount, half will be used to create two Ole Miss First
scholarships. Ole Miss First is a universitywide initiative,
implemented in 2000 by Chancellor Robert Khayat to address the critical
need for scholarships. The scholarships are unique in that each scholar
is assigned a mentor during his or her term at UM. The Renasant Bank
Corporate Ole Miss First scholarships become the first to include
internship opportunities within the company.
“We are thrilled about the new corporate component of the Ole Miss
First scholarship program,” said Jill West, development officer for the
program. “Renasant Bank is the first to fund this type of scholarship
and we are incredibly appreciative. It’s another example of Renasant’s
dedication to ensuring a bright future for University of Mississippi
students.”
The scholarships are to be awarded to full-time students pursuing
degrees in banking and finance in the School of Business Administration.
The remainder of the gift will be used to establish the Renasant Bank
Fund for Business Excellence, which will assist the School of Business
Administration with recruitment and retention of faculty, and to create
a general fund to address the school’s greatest needs.
“Faculty, staff and students of the School of Business are grateful for
the generous support of Renasant Bank,” said Dean Ken Cyree. “The new
scholarships will give our students an opportunity to gain professional
experience and knowledge outside of the classroom. Faculty support will
help us retain and attract high-quality faculty to provide scholarship
and teaching. Renasant’s generosity provides a wonderful example for us
all. We thank them for supporting the school and for helping to make
sure we can provide the best education possible.”
Renasant Bank is headquartered in Tupelo with locations throughout Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama.
Renasant’s gift is part of the university’s MomentUM campaign, a
four-year initiative to raise $200 million. Funds raised through the
campaign, which ends in December 2008, will support scholarships,
graduate fellowships, faculty support, a basketball practice facility,
residential colleges and a new law school on the Oxford campus. Also in
the plans are a cancer center at the UM Medical Center and a new
building to house the School of Pharmacy, both in Jackson.
For more information on giving to UM, visit http://www.umf.olemiss.edu/giving .