Buffy Duncan Receives $1,000 Calhoun Scholarship

Buffy Duncan, a Liberal Arts and Sciences major at Aiken Technical College, has been named the 2018 Christopher A. Calhoun Scholar and will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

While attending Aiken, Duncan saw the need for greater accessibility in online courses. She took it upon herself to provide transcriptions for professors’ audio lectures and captions for videos, and she also has added descriptions for photos and PowerPoints used in online lectures. Her intention is to help create a more inclusive learning environment for students with disabilities or those that are learning English as their second language. By assisting her educators, their material now holds the potential to yield higher educational achievements for all students.

Duncan is a member of the Board of Trustees of her church and the recently-elected treasurer of her local Phi Theta Kappa chapter. She is also the program coordinator for a School of the Arts in her neighboring state of Georgia where she plans and coordinates art programs for preschoolers and school-age children.

The Calhoun Scholarship is awarded annually to a South Carolina student with a high-ranking score in the All-USA Academic Team Competition. The All-USA program is widely recognized as the most prestigious academic honor for students seeking an associate degree and recognizes students who extend their college education to better themselves, their schools, and their surrounding communities.

“We are very thankful for donors such as Christopher Calhoun who understand the importance of what recognition can do in a student’s life,” said Dr. Monica Marlowe, Executive Director of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation. “Mr. Calhoun is paying forward the opportunity he received after being recognized for his achievement as a Phi Theta Kappa member. We congratulate Buffy for her academic accomplishments and wish her the best as she completes her education.