Released: August 3, 1995

STEPHANIE BULLOCK RECEIVES 1ST MCCARTY SCHOLARSHIP

HATTIESBURG -- When the call came Wednesday afternoon, Stephanie Bullock was at home alone.

Within a few minutes, however, the whole neighborhood knew the 18-year-old Hattiesburg High School graduate was the first Oseola McCarty scholarship recipient at The University of Southern Mississippi. The scholarship, administered by the Southern Miss Foundation, is part of an endowed scholarship established by a $150,000 gift to the university by Oseola McCarty.

"I feel like she's got another grandmother," said Leedrester Bullock, Stephanie's mother, a fifth-grade teacher at Lillie Burney School. "This is the kind of thing your family does for you."

McCarty, 87, has spent her life washing and ironing clothes for Hattiesburg-area customers. She's also spent her life living modestly, caring for family members and saving her hard-earned money. She left school in the sixth grade to care for a sick aunt and never returned. The $150,000 gift to Southern Miss is her way of helping another child go to school, she said.

"I just want it to go to someone who will appreciate it and who will learn," McCarty said. The tuition scholarship gives "priority consideration to those deserving African-American students enrolling (at Southern Miss) who clearly demonstrate a financial need."

Southern Miss President Dr. Aubrey K. Lucas called McCarty's gift "a heartwarmer" that provides students with a college education and a strong lesson in life.

"The scholarship will assist students in achieving a college education but it also puts students in touch with a person who has characteristics we would all do well to embody," Lucas said. "Miss McCarty is someone who does not think of herself -- she has worked hard all her life and taken care of her family. She is thrifty. She saved her money and found ways to make it grow. And she is a philanthropist, providing for others."

Stephanie had scholarship offers from other schools but wanted to stay close to home and attend Southern Miss. The daughter of Otis and Leedrester Bullock, Stephanie's list of activities and her scholastic achievement show she's a serious, hard-working teen.

She was president of the student body at Hattiesburg High during her senior year and has served as a class officer each year since the eighth grade. She's a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club and was the state Tri-Y queen. She was Mayor Ed Morgan's appointee to the Mayor's Youth Council and is active in many programs at Antioch Baptist Church. She received the D.I. Patrick Award at her high school graduation and the Outstanding Student Award presented by Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Despite her accomplishments, her mother said she was "always one point short" of qualifying for any other scholarship or form of financial aid. With her twin brother, Stephen, also entering college this fall at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Stephanie was concerned about the family budget.

"I was worried about how we could afford (college)," Stephanie said. "I told my parents that I don't like growing up because there's too much to worry about."

When she met McCarty for the first time Thursday, Stephanie threw her arms around the woman's neck and whispered in her ear, "Thank you so much." After a few minutes, the two were talking like long-time friends. Stephanie admitted being the first Oseola McCarty scholar carries with it a big responsibility.

"I'm going to try as hard as I can to do well," she said.

That doesn't surprise her twin, Stephen, a bit.

"Stephanie's a very special person," he said. "Whatever she sets her mind to, she'll do it."

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