These area students are first Clementa Pinckney scholars

Beaufort and Jasper county students are among the first class of scholarships awarded in memory of Clementa Pinckney, the pastor of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston and state senator.

Ten students have been named Rev. Pinckney Scholars and will receive a total of $80,000 each year, renewable for four years. From Beaufort and Jasper counties, the winners are:

• Battery Creek High School student Christian Carter, who will attend N.C. State
• Beaufort High School student Henry Jones, who will attend University of South Carolina Upstate
• Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School student Carmen Hamilton, who will attend Charleston Southern
• Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School student Kayla Hasty, who will attend S.C. State

The other six winners were from Charleston County schools.

The scholarships were founded in July 2015, a month after Pinckney and eight others were killed in a shooting at Emanuel AME Church. Donors raised $3.2 million.

The program’s aim is to provide African-American students access to higher education, according to a news release, and is administered by the Coastal Community Foundation.

Winners were chosen from 71 applications.

This story was originally published June 2, 2016 at 9:55 AM with the headline "These area students are first Clementa Pinckney scholars."