For more than two decades, philanthropy at the College of Charleston has quietly reshaped the trajectories of countless students. Behind this sustained impact are alumni Daniel Dickerson ’99 and Marie Allain Dickerson ’99, whose 26 years of giving have bridged financial gaps and built durable pathways to higher education.
The couple’s enduring commitment culminated in the establishment of the Chick-fil-A Graduate Leadership Scholarship, a vital funding source designed to ease the financial burdens of master’s degree candidates. As the scholarship enters the 2026–27 academic year, its latest recipients exemplify the resilience, community focus, and academic rigor the Dickersons set out to champion.
Roots in a Nontraditional Path
The Dickersons’ dedication to student success stems from lived experience. Daniel took a nontraditional route to his own degree, encountering firsthand the unique pressures of balancing higher education outside standard timelines. During that journey, key mentors—including former vice president for enrollment management Sue Sommer-Kresse—provided the encouragement that shaped his perspective on giving back.
That personal history planted the seeds for long-term engagement. When Daniel joined the School of Professional Studies Advisory Board in 2020, he observed that master’s candidates faced severe funding shortages. Drawing on his perspective as the owner of two Chick-fil-A franchises in North Charleston—where he frequently watched employees juggle demanding work schedules with academic aspirations—he and Marie helped launch the graduate leadership scholarship to expand access to advanced degrees.
The 2026–27 Scholarship Recipients
The scholarship has consistently supported two graduate students each academic year. For the current cohort, the selection committee chose Sophia Kozlowski ’26 and Tenessa Moore, two scholars whose multidisciplinary ambitions align closely with the Dickersons’ vision.
Kozlowski, a West Ashley native who grew up just across the Ashley River, initially enrolled with plans to study pharmacy before discovering a stronger affinity for quantitative fields. After transitioning to computer science and minoring in data science, she earned her undergraduate degree and entered the joint graduate program in computer and information sciences run by the College of Charleston and The Citadel.
Her academic trajectory has been deeply influenced by three years of summer research alongside Navid Hashemi, associate professor of computer science. Their work explores healthcare informatics, utilizing machine learning algorithms to evaluate family health data and predict neurological and mental health outcomes. Kozlowski recently presented her findings at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Conference on Healthcare Informatics in Minneapolis.
“My mom is a clinical specialist, and I have seen a little bit into how the system works,” Kozlowski says. “I believe that by using data more effectively, there are opportunities to improve patient care and streamline healthcare operations, so the system works better for everyone.”
Tenessa Moore Leads University Services and Nonprofit Work
While Kozlowski advances health informatics in South Carolina, co-recipient Tenessa Moore is following a similarly rigorous path from Charlotte, North Carolina. Moore serves as the director of conferences and event services at Johnson C. Smith University while simultaneously co-founding To Serve with Love Ministries Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating homelessness, poverty, and family instability.
Moore is currently pursuing an executive doctorate in business administration (E.D.B.A.) at the College of Charleston. Juggling doctoral coursework, full-time administrative responsibilities, and the care of her mother required a high degree of structural flexibility, which the Dickersons’ scholarship helps provide.
“Pursuing doctoral studies while maintaining professional responsibilities and caring for my mother is a significant commitment,” Moore notes, adding that the support makes her academic goals attainable. Following the completion of her doctorate, Moore plans to bridge industry leadership and academia by teaching hospitality at the collegiate level.
The Continuing Evolution of Campus Philanthropy
For the Dickersons, the true measure of their giving lies not just in financial metrics, but in the ripple effect created when students are given the space to succeed. Looking back at two decades of institutional support, the couple views their philanthropy as an ongoing investment in human potential.
“Both of us have spent our careers believing that investing in people is the best investment there is, and seeing that play out at the College over all these years has been one of the most rewarding things we’ve done together,” the Dickersons reflect.
As Kozlowski continues her healthcare data research and Moore progresses through her doctoral studies, the institution monitors the broader outcomes of targeted graduate funding. University administrators and the scholarship founders continue to evaluate how early-stage financial intervention influences degree completion rates and long-term career leadership among non-traditional and graduate scholars.
