University of South Carolina alumna and retired educator, Joyce Ham, is honoring the legacy of her two late husbands through a $100,000 endowed scholarship that will help education students for years to come.

“Ray S. Ham and Henry A. Strohminger valued education,” says Joyce. “Both of them left their mark on the world as successful businessmen and caring individuals. The scholarship is to honor their lives.”

Joyce and her late husband, Ray, were Carolina alumni – he majored in marketing while she earned a degree in education. Henry Strohminger, her second husband, was also a Carolina fan after moving to South Carolina. Joyce says she chose to give to the College of Education because she loved her years spent teaching and she knows that the need for well-qualified educators in South Carolina is great.

“When I was seven years old, I knew I would become a teacher,” says Joyce. “That calling never wavered. The 28 years I spent as a classroom teacher are precious to me. Being directly involved with students was my passion. Therefore, I want to help education majors who feel the same way."