On Sunday, June 29, 2025, The Kappa Foundation of Columbia, SC held its Annual Scholarship Award Program at the Brookland Baptist Church Northeast Campus. Awards of $ 1,000 each were made to twenty-seven high school graduates who have been accepted to enter college this Fall. All of the awardees were honor roll students who graduated from schools in the three-county area of Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties. Twenty-two of the twenty-seven awardees will attend schools located in North and South Carolina. The remaining five will attend schools in Georgia, Tennessee, New York, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, California.
The application process for the scholarships required the applicant to complete an application form, provide their high school transcript, their college acceptance letter, and letters of support from
a teacher and a community leader. All of the applicants were highly recommended by their teachers and community leaders. All of them were well-rounded in that they participated in school activities such as athletics, debate club, student council, and served as community volunteers. Many of them also held after-school jobs. All combined, this served as evidence that they were well prepared for college and, in due time, would become good citizens.
Proceeds for the scholarships have traditionally come from the Foundation’s annual golf tournament that is named after a long-term educator, coach, mentor, and civic leader, Mr. Collie E. Rayford. Called the Collie E. Rayford Golf Classic, the tournament is now in its fourteenth year and has awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships. This year, however, a number of sponsors
came forward to supplement the scholarship pool. Four of the six sponsors indicated that they wanted to support a program that contribute to the preparation of young people to meet life’s challenges and become good citizens, and one that encourages high achievement in every field of human endeavor.
The Kappa Foundation of Columbia, SC is a Non-Profit 501(c)(3) organization that works in partnership with the Columbia Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Incorporated in 2013, it has an executive board consisting of nine persons, and various subcommittees that focus on various areas of interest. It is committed to supporting educational opportunities for students through scholarships and strives to positively impact the lives of individuals and the local communities in the Midlands area.
