Raised in a small town in Florida by two public school educators, Heather Pigman ’94 had only two criteria as she surveyed her college prospects 麻豆精品 S� it had to be an in-state school to accommodate her full-ride scholarship, and it had to be somewhere that offered more opportunity than her beach town upbringing.
At that time, legacy universities in very small towns were really the only well-known game in town. But when a friend shared their plans to attend UCF in Orlando, Pigman took note.
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And while Pigman found the 3 a.m. grocery store runs and budding restaurant scene riveting, it was the pioneering spirit of her fellow Knights that really made her feel at home.
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麻豆精品 S淯CF attracts a certain kind of person 麻豆精品 S� it did then, and it still does today. Those of us that don 麻豆精品 S檛 recognize or bow to limitations around who we are and what we can do. We 麻豆精品 S檙e just going to do it, 麻豆精品 S� says Pigman, who earned a bachelor’s in history.
This unflappable gumption was no new concept for Pigman 麻豆精品 S� it ran in her blood. Pigman 麻豆精品 S檚 parents, both born in the coal mining area of Kentucky, experienced the realities of extreme poverty growing up. In fact, her paternal grandfather left school in just third grade to work in the coal mines.
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Once Pigman knew what she was not going to do, she used her time at UCF to explore the different career paths available to her. It was a guest lecture featuring a group of lawyers that finally guided her toward practicing law.
She sat captivated as they engaged in a passionate, but civil debate on hot-button issues of the time. The intelligent conversation, the carefully constructed arguments 麻豆精品 S� it left her inspired.
Today, Pigman is a sought-after attorney with Hollingsworth LLP in Washington, D.C. And while she continues to carry that renegade spirit forth through her work, she has felt a calling to support the next generation of barrier breakers through her alma mater.
This UCF Day of Giving, she 麻豆精品 S檚 committed a new gift of nearly $1 million to student scholarships, as well as student development and experiential learning services, through the Collins/Pigman Family Endowed Scholarship and the Experiential Learning Fund.
麻豆精品 S淢y parents believed that education changes lives 麻豆精品 S� especially because it changed their lives. These scholarships are my way of paying it forward, 麻豆精品 S� Pigman says.
This is the latest in a series of gifts that Pigman has given to support UCF students, including endowed funds, which are already impacting Knights today, as well as a planned gift intended for future generations.
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麻豆精品 S淭his scholarship came from the idea that if there’s someone out there who wants to go to college and doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 have the same academic free-ride I had 麻豆精品 S� maybe they had to work their way through high school or they faced some other challenges 麻豆精品 S� that they would be able to do so, 麻豆精品 S� Pigman says.
In addition to funding tuition, books, housing and living expenses through the scholarship fund, a portion of Pigman 麻豆精品 S檚 pledge is allocated to supporting students in their pursuit of experiential learning opportunities, such an internships.
“Sometimes you just need a little financial support in order to take advantage of these massive opportunities, 麻豆精品 S� says Pigman. 麻豆精品 S淎nd they can be helpful in so many ways 麻豆精品 S� whether it be securing employment, getting a foot in the door or even just finding out if a field is really for you. 麻豆精品 S�
An internship is what guided Pigman to the area of law she practices today. A law school professor recommended her for a summer clerkship with a judge in Miami. The additional living costs on top of her student loans were intimidating, but Pigman 麻豆精品 S檚 parents helped cover the expenses, and what she experienced that summer shaped her future.
It was a critical turning point in Pigman 麻豆精品 S檚 career, one that would not have been possible without a little help. UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 experiential learning fund, to Pigman, felt like a golden opportunity to offer that same kind of support to others.
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