Newberry College Senior Jonathan Wright named 2022 SCICU Student of the Year

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jonathan Wright, a Newberry College senior double majoring in accounting and criminal justice, was announced as the 2022 McLean-Smith SCICU Student of the Year at SCICU’s Board of Trustees meeting on Oct. 13 hosted by Benedict College.

Honoring the combined legacies of leadership at SCICU and the S.C. Tuition Grants Commission, the award recognizes academic achievement and campus/community involvement made by S.C. Tuition Grants recipients. The award includes a $3,000 scholarship.

“I am extremely grateful to SCICU for this award,” said Jonathan. “The scholarship helped me cover almost all my costs for this academic year. Now I am considering graduate programs as well, and that’s something that I never thought I would consider until now.”

Jonathan is no stranger to SCICU accolades. He is currently conducting a juvenile cybercrime research project that was selected for SCICU Undergraduate Student/Faculty Research Program funding in Spring 2022. Jonathan will present his research findings at the SCICU Research Symposium on February 16, 2023 at the Milliken & Company Customer Center in Spartanburg.

Along with maintaining a 4.0 GPA each semester at Newberry, Jonathan, the son of David and Nathalie Wright, has demonstrated significant personal and professional leadership in the classroom, in athletics, and in the community. Wright balances his time to achieve excellence in academic pursuits while playing guard on Newberry’s men’s basketball team, serving in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and other campus groups, serving as student leader of the First College Ministry at Newberry First Baptist Church, and volunteering in other Newberry community activities.

Jonathan plans to pursue a career in forensic accounting with a federal agency.

“SCICU is proud to honor Jonathan with the Student of the Year scholarship,” said Jeff Perez, SCICU president and CEO. “His academic achievements and leadership in the community are an inspiration to all of us and demonstrate the superior preparation students receive at Newberry and all SCICU member institutions.”

Each year the McLean-Smith SCICU Student of the Year scholarship recipient is selected from rising junior or senior applicants attending one of SCICU’s 21 member colleges and universities. All applicants must also be S.C. Tuition Grant recipients. Applications are accepted by the Center for Scholarship Administration in Greenville, and an independent three-person panel annually selects the student who will receive the SCICU Student of the Year scholarship.

The scholarship program honors J. Lacy McLean and Sterling L. Smith. McLean advocated for independent higher education in S.C. for over 34 years. Smith was instrumental in the development of the S.C. Tuition Grants program.