USC Aiken Education Major Receives Continuing Education Grant

Aiken, SC (02/09/2022) — Holly Sharpe Coleman, a student at the University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken), was recently awarded a Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) Program for Continuing Education Grant from the P.E.O. Sisterhood. She was sponsored by P.E.O. Chapter B of Aiken.

Coleman is currently pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in education. She earned a bachelor of science degree in sociology from USC Aiken in 2015. For several years, she worked at Oakwood Windsor Elementary School in the Aiken County Public School System as a student information clerk and used her experience as a stepping stone to reach her ultimate career goal of being an early childhood education teacher.

The P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education was established in 1973 to provide need-based grants to women in the U.S. and Canada whose education has been interrupted and who find it necessary to return to school to support themselves and/or their families.

Chapter B has been a part of the Aiken community since it was organized in 1954.

P.E.O. has been celebrating women helping women reach for the stars for more than 150 years. Since its inception in 1869, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 116,000 women pursue educational goals by providing over $383 million in grants, scholarships, awards, and loans. The sisterhood also owns and supports Cottey College. Through membership, the P.E.O. Sisterhood has brought together more than half a million women in the U.S. and Canada who are passionate about helping women advance through education while supporting and motivating them. In addition to the educational philanthropies, the P.E.O. Sisterhood provides a framework of support and community for all members.

What started with a bond of friendship among seven women in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, is now one of the oldest women's organizations in North America, with close to 6,000 chapters. To learn more about P.E.O., its powerful educational philanthropies, and to see stories of women who have benefited from the programs, visit peointernational.org.

Media Attachments

left to right: Dr. Elizabeth Benton, Holly Sharpe Coleman, Jane Scott, and Robin Callicott.