The Harkins Family Endowment Fund will create a lasting legacy at Catawba, strengthening the College’s ability to help students thrive both academically and personally. The fund also provides a meaningful vehicle to continue the annual giving Steve and Cindy Harkins have provided to the College for many years.
“Steve and Cindy Harkins have demonstrated a deep and enduring commitment to Catawba College and to the success of our students,” said Catawba College Vice President of Development Meg Dees. “Their generosity reflects the very best of what it means to invest in Catawba’s mission. Through this endowment, they are creating opportunities that will support student leadership, character, and service for generations to come.”
The donors have expressed their desire that the annual spendable income from the Harkins Family Endowment Fund be used to support a student who is a Tom Smith Fellow. Recipients must be formally selected and recognized as participants in the Tom Smith Fellows program at Catawba College and must maintain all eligibility requirements and standards established by the program, including participation in programming, activities, and leadership initiatives.
Recipients also must exhibit leadership, character, and a commitment to service consistent with the mission and expectations of the Tom Smith Fellows program and remain in good standing with both Catawba College and the program to retain eligibility for funding.
For students, the Tom Smith Fellows program provides opportunities to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences, professional networks, and leadership development.
“The Tom Smith Fellows program has been one of the highlights of my experience at Catawba,” said Caleb Schell, Class of 2026, who was a Tom Smith Fellow for all four years at Catawba. “I was surrounded by other business students who wanted to apply themselves, and the program gave us opportunities to explore our individual interests and passions. From tours of Salisbury, to meeting business owners, attending trade fairs, interacting with alumni, and traveling to other states, I was pushed outside my comfort zone, becoming more confident in myself and my future after Catawba. I feel much more prepared in making new connections with others currently in business and maintaining the amazing connections I made while a part of the Fellows.”
Steve Harkins, a 1977 graduate of Catawba College, is a retired financial services executive with more than four decades of leadership experience in the credit union industry. He served as President and CEO of Spero Financial, formerly SC Telco Federal Credit Union, in Greenville, South Carolina, for 27 years. During his tenure, he oversaw the organization’s growth into a community-based institution with 10 locations across four cities. Earlier in his career, he served as Vice President/City Executive with SECU in North Carolina.
Beyond the financial sector, Harkins is a Distinguished Past President of the Downtown Greenville Kiwanis Club and has served on several community boards. He continues his commitment to education and service as a member of the Catawba College Board of Visitors and the Chiefs Club Board.
"We created this scholarship to pay forward the wonderful foundation Catawba provided me as a business major,” said Harkins. “My education prepared me well for the professional world, and the college instilled the value of service that has guided me throughout my life. Having seen the quality of students in The Tom Smith Fellows program firsthand, we are honored to play a small part in its continued success."
Catawba College is fortunate to have alumni, friends, and businesses who have generously contributed funds to establish named endowments in support of people, programs, and facilities.
To learn more about how to support Catawba College or establish a new endowed fund or scholarship, please contact the Development Office at 704.637.4394.
About Where Our Good Goes
Where Our Good Goes is Catawba College’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, designed to expand opportunities for students, enhance academic and campus life, and strengthen the College’s impact on communities near and far. Grounded in Catawba’s mission of scholarship with character and culture for service, the campaign reflects the College’s enduring belief that when we invest in students today, their good will go far tomorrow. For more information about the Where Our Good Goes campaign, visit catawba.edu/whereourgoodgoes.
