Chick-fil-A Owners Fund Grad School Dreams in Charleston

When Daniel Dickerson discovered that graduate students at the College of Charleston had zero scholarship options, he knew exactly what to do. His own employees at two North Charleston Chick-fil-A locations were struggling to balance school with real life.

"Oftentimes our employees wanted to go to school, but life happened," Daniel says. Together with his wife Marie, both 1999 graduates, he launched the Chick-fil-A Graduate Leadership Scholarship in 2020.

The scholarship awards two graduate students each year, targeting people who've been in the workforce and face the challenge of balancing family, jobs, and tuition. For the Dickersons, this mission feels personal because someone invested in Daniel when he was a nontraditional student.

"We have always tried as a couple to serve where other people don't go," Marie explains. Their approach worked better than they imagined when one recipient turned out to be their former employee, Jackson Seith, who earned his MBA in 2024.

This year's recipients show exactly why the scholarship matters. Carmen "Kit" Lowery earned her Master of Public Administration while serving as student association president and working as a graduate assistant. She presented research on pedestrian-friendly cities at a conference in Florida and now pursues her goal of becoming a city manager.

Shelby Allen completed her MBA in marketing while working a graduate assistantship and interning at a financial company. She moved beyond classroom theory to execute real branding projects and plans to bring business skills to arts organizations and nonprofits that need operational support.

The Ripple Effect

The scholarship does more than reduce debt. It gives students freedom to take unpaid internships and assistantships that build real-world skills. Lowery worked with local government agencies and gained insights into public service leadership. Allen tested marketing strategies with direct feedback from company leadership.

Both graduates now plan careers focused on strengthening communities and creating pathways for others. Allen specifically wants to help organizations that lack formal resources reach more people and build sustainability.

"It is so gratifying to see what our scholarship recipients have accomplished and where they plan to go," Daniel says. The couple doesn't select recipients themselves, making each success story a genuine surprise.

The scholarship stands out as one of the first at the College created specifically for master's degree candidates, filling a gap that left working adults without support while pursuing advanced education.