Robert L. Dubose Scholarship empowers SC State STEM students
O’Bryaan Prioleau, Ashley Nehemiah Smith, Jackson Edwards, and Amonte Middleton are the inaugural Robert L. Dubose Scholars.
ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Four outstanding students at South Carolina State University have been named recipients of the Robert L. Dubose Scholarship, an award supporting high-achieving students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Funded by a $10,000 annual contribution from Goodwill Industries, the scholarship honors the legacy of Robert L. Dubose, a proud SC State alumnus whose journey from a sharecropper’s son to industry leadership continues to inspire.
Dubose, a 1996 SC State alumnus, serves on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Corporation of Eastern North Carolina. Goodwill asked Dubose to name a charity or institution to receive an annual donation of $10,000. He selected SC State as the recipient.
This inaugural Dubose Scholars are O’Bryaan Prioleau, Ashley Nehemiah Smith, Jackson Edwards, and Monte Middleton.
Each student has demonstrated academic excellence and dedication to advancing in their chosen STEM disciplines. One student was selected from each of the university’s four departments in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (College of STEM-T).
“This scholarship is a big help for our students because this will help defray the ever-increasing cost of education,” said Dr. Stanley Ihekweazu, the college’s dean. “The College of STEM-T is extremely grateful to Mr. Dubose for selecting SC State University and more importantly, the College of STEM-T to receive the scholarships.”
At the scholars’ induction ceremony in SC State’s Engineering and Computer Science Complex. Dubose reflected on his own path and urged the students to stay true to their individual goals.
“Define success as what you desire it to be, not what others want it to be,” Dubose said. “Oftentimes, we pursue the dreams of others, but not the dreams that we really have for ourselves.”
He also reminded students that their education at SC State stands alongside any institution.
“The same way we teach the Law of Motion here at South Carolina State University is the same way and the manner of definition that they teach at Clemson University,” Dubose said.
Meet the 2024 Dubose Scholars
Prioleau works full-time as a data center technician at Google while completing his degree.
“A lot of [my income] goes toward my tuition to avoid student loans,” he said. “This scholarship will help me save this semester.”
Prioleau hopes to eventually open his own business, combining his engineering background
with innovation and entrepreneurship.
“I want to design different things, try to earn patents and be more innovative,” he
said.
Smith is a Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College scholar engaged in biomedical research under Dr. Courtney Thomas, a nationally recognized NIH and NIFA researcher.
“I want to pursue a Ph.D. and focus on research in biomedical science and engineering,”
Smith said. “I want to be involved in developing drug treatments and delivery systems
for medical devices, advancing the scientific world and healthcare as a whole.”
Smith chose SC State for both its academic strength and financial support opportunities.
“Knowing that I needed funding to ground myself at a university that could take me further, SC State was the choice that fit,” he said.
Edwards continues a family legacy at SC State, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father. Planning to pursue graduate studies, Edwards aims to specialize in data analysis for security and law enforcement.
“Cybersecurity is a raw field,” Edwards said. “I want to be someone who analyzes data and can eliminate the bad from the good — not necessarily be part of a crime scene all the time, but an analyst who can help law enforcement and security.”
“Going through the process, I realized this is a really fascinating field,” Middleton said. “This might be the most efficient and cleaner way to produce energy instead of the alternatives that put pollution everywhere.”
After graduation, she hopes to work directly in the nuclear energy industry, contributing to cleaner energy solutions.
SC State offers the only four-year nuclear engineering degree in South Carolina and among all HBCUs.
A bridge to success
SC State President Alexander Conyers praised Dubose’s lifelong dedication to education and service, noting the impact such support has on student success.
“I often tell students here that they can get there from here, and they can,” Conyers said. “But occasionally, they get run up to, they spot on a road where the road has been washed out.
“Although they can get there from here, sometimes they need a bridge to get there. Sometimes they need someone to reach back, build that bridge, pull them up, pull them over,” he said.
Conyers reminded the scholars of their future responsibility as recipients of that bridge.
“The only payback for you is that one day when you are in a position is to do the same,” he said. “Regardless of at what scale, I encourage you to always look for an opportunity where you can reach back and be the bridge builder for someone else just as this bridge has been built for you.”
A lasting charge
Dubose emphasized the importance of resilience and continuous learning.
“Please, do your best at the hand that life gives you,” he said. “Despite the views about whether life is fair or not, you can still make it.”
He encouraged students to anticipate industry trends and remain adaptable. “Develop a skill of anticipation, and develop a skill of thought and thinking,” Dubose said.
Dubose left the students with a lasting charge: “When your career comes to an end, let it be said that you not only gave your best, but you gave your all, and you left it all on the field.”
About Robert L. Dubose
Dubose graduated from what was then SC State College in 1966 with Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering technology. He was also commissioned as a U.S. Army officer through the ROTC Bulldog Battalion.
He joined IBM after graduation as a manufacturing engineer. He retired from IBM as a senior engineer manager after 35 years. He also retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel. Along the way, he obtained a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering and a Master of Business Administration -- both from Duke University.