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Turning Pain into Purpose: The Jason Carroll Memorial Scholarship Jason Carroll’s parents laughed fondly as they recalled memories of their son. By the age of 12 he was taking aviation lessons and already had a determination to succeed. “When he learned that whoever got the highest grade would get to Memorial Scholarship Fund has annually awarded a one-year schol- arship to an incoming freshman. Scholarship applicants must com- pose a 1,000-word essay on how to end gun violence in the territory. Mrs. Carroll said it gets students Judge James & Mrs. Celia Carroll fly the plane, he jumped at it,” his mother Celia Carroll recalled. “He made sure he got the highest grade so that he could fly that plane,” she said with a knowing laugh. “People would always say he was so respect- ful,” his father, V.I. Superior Court Judge James Carroll I, remem- bered. “I always felt good when that came back to me.” It has been 11 years since the promising University of the Virgin Islands student was cut down in his prime — killed on St. Thomas in a senseless act of violence. The Car- rolls have turned their pain into purpose and memorialized Jason with a scholarship in his name at UVI. Since 2005, the Jason Carroll Jason Carroll to seriously think about violence in the community and possible so- lutions. Judge Carroll added that it also allows applicants to make a personal commitment toward ending violence. Recipients often become involved in the Annual Walk/Run Against Gun Violence, the scholarship’s main fund-raiser, and other projects of Mrs. Carroll’s Mothers Against Guns organiza- tion. Kirwin Hodge, the scholar- ship’s only male recipient, said he is proud to be connected with the intent of the Jason Carroll Memo- rial Scholarship. “When I saw the topic, first off I thought that it was a relevant topic that’s really affecting the young Philanthropy & YOU | vs AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS men in our community,” said 2007- 2008 recipient Jamilya Christopher. Not able to qualify for federal stu- dent aid, Christopher said the schol- arship has been her only source of financial assistance. ‘To her surprise, the Carrolls have provided a portion of her tuition every year since she first received the scholarship. “The Carrolls’ commitment is a one-year scholarship to an incom- ing freshman,” said Mitchell Neaves, UVI’s director of Major Gifts. “What they have done is go above and be- yond to give additional funding to past recipients once extra funds are available,” Neaves said. It’s no exaggeration that the Car- rolls have become like family to the students who receive scholarships in their son’s name. “Kirwin, Jamilya, Kristell, we talk for hours on end,” Judge Carroll said. The Carrolls’ giv- ing goes beyond the financial. “They are really passionate,” noted Neaves. “They are interested in the students’ progress and always ask how they are doing. Their only request is that stu- dents can get through, do right and be a symbol against gun violence,” Neaves said. “It’s really impressive the way they have approached this.” “We took the wrong that hap- pened and turned it around to some- thing good,” Mrs. Carroll said. “We feel so honored to be able to help young people fulfill their destinies,” Judge Carroll added. rsity V irgin J slands of the WWW.UVI.EDU Waaid UeQe Kiril Sokoloff Kiril Sokoloff has the same mission for the U.S. Virgin Islands as he has for the rest of the world — to make it a better place. When his asset alloca- tion and investment research firm, 13D Research, relocated to the U.S. Virgin Islands as a tenant of the Uni- versity of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park, Sokoloff found someone with a similar mission — UVI’s President Dr. David Hall. “I knew that one day I would con- tribute to that mission,” Sokoloff said at a press conference in May. “That day has now come,” Sokoloff said, as he pledged $5 million to the Univer- sity. Sokoloffs gift is one of the largest donations ever received from a single donor in the University’s history. It will endow two initiatives at UVI - the Kiril Sokoloff Distinguished Pro- fessorship in Entrepreneurship in the School of Business and the 13D En- trepreneurship Student Competition. “Trying to make the world a bet- ter place is really the only purpose of being here on earth. You have to find opportunities that can make an impact,” Sokoloff said. “It’s never just one person. I’m really a small part of this vision,” he later said. The Kiril Sokoloff Distinguished Professorship will be the first en- dowed chair at the University of the Virgin Islands. The professorship will enable UVI to recruit a nationally known expert in the field of entrepre- neurship. The 13D Entrepreneur- ship Competition will be a year-long educational experience designed to encourage UVI undergraduate and graduate students to explore and de- velop their ideas and business plans, and focus their energies to contribute to the production of tomorrow’s lead- ing companies. Several awards in cash Historic Gift to UVI to Create a New Generation of Entrepreneurs or business start-up services will be provided to winning teams. It is an- ticipated that students will utilize cash awards received to support their con- tinuing education, and as seed money in the start up of new businesses. “We intend to make entrepreneur- ialism a campus-wide initiative,” said UVI Provost Dr. Karl Wright. “We are poised to educate a new genera- tion of Caribbean entrepreneurs.” Dr. Hall called the gift a “game- ” oF changer.” “This strategic investment in the entrepreneurial spirit of the University and our students has the potential to transform the economic conditions of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Caribbean region,” he said at the press conference. “This is more than a gift of $5 million,” he added. “This is an act of faith by a man of faith and tremendous vision. This day and this gift move us further down the road to greatness.” SUPPORT UVI DONATE NOW SECURE SITE Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/UVI.edu www.uvi.edu