Communication major is recipient of women’s scholarship
Emma Ogren, Editor-in-Chief
Feature photo courtesy of Avriel Maddox
Avriel Maddox, junior strategic communications major at North Greenville University, is the 2026 recipient of the Barbara McCormick Endowment Fund.
Maddox is a part of the student leadership team, the president of the black student union and a former cheerleader.
The Barbara McCormick Endowment Fund is a part of Auxilio; an organization of NGU that encourages and uplifts women on campus. They do so with membership and taking part in on-campus events like first-year birthday cakes and commuter lunch.
They hold three events a year for their members to gather and have fellowship with one another. During these times, they also cover business and hear from a speaker. The events include a luncheon in the fall and spring semesters and a homecoming brunch.
2026’s fall luncheon happened on Sept. 3 and 40 members were in attendance. They were served a lunch of salad and grilled chicken while a piano resonated through the president’s dining hall. This was done by Esther Zhang, senior worship studies major.
Deborah O’Gwynn, president of Auxilio, welcomed the ladies in before an opening prayer. Then Maddox spoke. She thanked the women who helped support this endowment fund.
The main speaker for the lunch was Grace Lyn Shockey, a former member of the International Mission Board. She told the ladies in attendance about a time her and her husband were not allowed to leave the country they were missionaries in.
After being held and interrogated for 60 days, they were finally able to come back home. Shockey discussed how crucial it was to lean on God during this difficult time.This also led to the power of prayer as friends and family back home continued to ask the Lord for safety.
She said that it was, “ordinary people taking an extraordinary risk for God.”
At the end of the luncheon, they held a gift raffle and a closing prayer before the ladies were dismissed.
