Yurlee Tinsley is a recent college graduate who is continuing to achieve career goals after having support from the SWNA Scholarship Fund. A graduate from Amidon-Bowen Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School, and Woodrow Wilson Senior High School, Yurlee graduated with a BA in Business Management from South Carolina State University this past spring.
While at SCSU, Yurlee was a member of the Society of Human Resource Management, the National Association of Black Accountants, and Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society. Yurlee is a recruiting coordinator for the Student Ambassador Program of the SCSU School of Business. He is also a member of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, Inc. With the fraternity, Yurlee has helped raise money by walking for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life (2013-2015) and has volunteered with Greater Faith, a soup kitchen in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Yurlee credits the SWNA scholarship with providing financial assistance towards school expenses and helping him achieve his goals during his freshman and sophomore years of undergrad. “The SWNA scholarship provided me with my first laptop as an incoming freshman. I was very fortunate to receive that gift, without [which] I believe it would’ve been difficult for me with the level of research and number of assignments that I had to complete,” Yurlee said.
In 2013, Yurlee witnessed his older brother Kenneth Tinsley graduate with honors from Central State University. Both Tinsley brothers are SWNA recipients and they both credit the scholarship with helping them achieve their academic goals. “To see my brother graduate, it was a proud moment for me,” Yurlee said. “The SWNA scholarship has helped my family and for that we are grateful,” he added.
Yurlee is currently interning with the USDA Rural Development Office of the Secretary. He would like to pursue a career working with the federal government, as well as earning his master’s degree in computer science.
The Tinsley family has lived in the Southwest community since the mid-90s. Yurlee is very appreciative of the SWNA scholarship and what it has done for his family. The SWNA Scholarship Program is currently in its 41st year. Since its existence, the community-supported fund has helped more than 275 neighborhood youth achieve their educational goals by providing grants for college. Students who live in Southwest (zip code 20024) who have been accepted to an accredited college or post-secondary institution are eligible to be considered for a scholarship. A personal interview, financial need, scholastic achievement, and community service are considered when making the awards for recipients.
By: Bianca Kersellius