McKinley High ‘27 and Brice Woodhouse 27’ were awarded opportunities of a lifetime thanks to Craig Melvin  and his scholarship. Craig Melvin, a familiar face to many as the lead anchor of The Today Show and NBC News, is a 2001 graduate of Wofford College. On Monday, Nov. 3rd the two students were able to personally thank Melvin for his generosity during a visit to NBC studios in New York City.

During his time at Wofford, Melvin was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and majored in government. Although he never had the chance to study abroad, Melvin is now giving back in a remarkable way. He and his wife, Lindsay, created the Lindsay and Craig Melvin Fund to support Wofford students participating in study abroad programs.

High and Woodhouse’s trip to NBC studios allowed them to thank Melvin in person for the opportunities his scholarship will open for them and his generosity to the Wofford community.

However, this visit was a surprise to Melvin, who had no idea who the recipients of his scholarship were, making this moment even more special.

“The reaction on his (Melvin’s) face was my favorite part… when the videos started playing of (McKinley) and then went on to me, and then when we walked out, how emotional he got to see how it affected our lives… that was the best part,” Woodhouse said.

“You saw the gloss in his eyes, like up close… and to see him watch it for the first time… since it is random, he doesn’t know who gets it,” High said.

Just as it was a surprise for Melvin to meet High and Woodhouse, the two students were equally shocked when they learned they had been selected for the scholarship.

“I was shocked. I immediately called my family, told them about it, and they were super happy for me, but I really had no idea… I was over the moon knowing the trip would be a little bit cheaper for me,” Woodhouse said.

Unlike most scholarships, the Craig Melvin Scholarship does not require an application, essay or specific qualifications. Instead, it is awarded to random students who plan to study abroad and attend Wofford.

“It was like a pool. Everyone who applied to study abroad was put in and we were just randomly selected,” High said.

“If you’re going abroad, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been once, if you’ve been three times, you’re eligible for the scholarship,” Woodhouse said.

High has already used her scholarship to study abroad in Morocco during Interim last year.

“It changed my perspective of travel too. I think it taught me more about travels, more about the people you meet, opposed to the places you see or the sights you see. That was a huge takeaway of my trip,” High said.

Woodhouse will be using his scholarship this upcoming Interim to study in Germany.

Thanks to Craig Melvin and his generosity, any Wofford student has the chance to receive this scholarship and experience the life changing opportunity of studying abroad.

For High and Woodhouse, their gratitude towards Melvin runs deep.

“Thank you for blessing so many students… and to lift the financial burden that comes with traveling abroad. Thank you so much,” High said.