Kathryn and Kevin Griffin with their son, Henry ’26
When Kathryn Griffin ’94 was headed to Carolina in the early ‘90s, her father said something she’ll never forget.
“He told me that college would be the best years of my life — to enjoy it,” she said. “And they really were some of the best years of our lives.”
The Wilmington native met her future husband Kevin Griffin ’94, who was from Charlotte, at Carolina. She met people from different backgrounds that enriched her life, and she had the chance to grow academically. Together as college students, the Griffins experienced the Tar Heels’ 1993 NCAA Championship in men’s basketball, earned degrees from the Kenan-Flagler Business School and made friendships that would last a lifetime.
“Carolina is one of my happy places,” Kathryn said. “There’s just something about Carolina and Chapel Hill that I don’t think you really find other places.”
“It’s more than a school,” Kevin said. “It is a community and a place that people belong to for the rest of their lives.”
The Griffins have made it a goal to make sure other North Carolina students, no matter their financial circumstances, can have their own Carolina experiences. Their longtime generous support of the Blue Sky Scholars Program is rooted in their deep appreciation for what it means to live in community — not only for the one they found at Carolina, but also for the ones they have found living, working and volunteering their time in Charlotte and Wilmington over the years.
The Blue Sky Scholars program was launched in 2018 with a lead gift from former UNC System President Erskine Bowles ’67 to address the financial challenges facing middle-income students, who make up the majority of North Carolinians receiving need-based aid at UNC-Chapel Hill. The scholarship is awarded to exceptionally qualified students from middle-income North Carolina families who demonstrate extraordinary hard work and character and qualify for financial aid but do not meet the requirements for the Carolina Covenant.
The Griffins were inspired by Bowles’s gift and the uniqueness of the program, which not only supports middle-income students who might not be able to afford the full cost of tuition, but also provides opportunities for growth and development.
“Carolina opened my eyes to people from different areas and new experiences,” Kathryn said. “It’s important for kids in North Carolina who are smart enough to go to Carolina to have this opportunity, and it’s important for the state, because many of these kids will stay and give back to North Carolina.”
Blue Sky Scholars receive $42,500 over four years, as well as a $2,500 Carolina Works work-study offer and a one-time $2,500 enrichment opportunity grant to use for study abroad, internships or research. More than half of Blue Sky Scholars graduate debt free, and scholarships have been awarded to North Carolina students from every corner of the state.
The middle-income focus of the program moved the Griffins. At the time, Kathryn was co-President of the Parent Teacher Student Organization at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, which included families with a wide range of socioeconomic circumstances, and Kevin devoted time to the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region. He also served as a member of UNC’s Board of Visitors.
Giving back was already part of their lives, and when they looked around at a community that meant so much to them, they thought of those parents for whom sending their children to college would be a substantial hardship. Many of those who fall into this income category serve in vital ways that make North Carolina stronger and healthier — teachers, law enforcement, those working in healthcare and the public sector and more — and they felt called to honor that.
“With our volunteering and giving, we were thinking about places where it can make a difference,” said Kevin. “Carolina is place that we want others to be able to take advantage of, and money shouldn’t be an impediment to that. We wanted to support families who were doing jobs that provide critical services to our state and alleviate some of that financial burden for them.”
The Griffins know their gifts make Carolina dreams happen, and they have a birds-eye view of today’s Carolina experiences in their son, Henry, who will graduate in the spring with his own connection to the place they love so much. They urge others who care about the students of their state to give back, too.
“It’s a simple way to make a big impact,” she said. “We love it.”
Others can join the Griffins in supporting the Blue Sky Scholars program by donating today.
Story by Audrey Smith ’10
Related Stories
