Communications. Mental health. Cybersecurity operations. Governmental affairs. Medicine. Clinical research. Data visualization. Fine and performing arts. Public health. These are some of the disciplines represented by the inaugural group of 27 Thayer Scholars at Columbus State University.

Thanks to a new scholarship fund established by John P. Thayer Sr. and his wife, Pamela, of Columbus, undergraduate students now have access to additional resources through the university’s Center for Career Coaching to gain invaluable, hands-on field experience as they apply classroom learning in real-world settings. Those internships, research, and service-learning experiences are poised to set them apart from their peers as they pursue postgraduate jobs or continue their studies at the graduate level.

A lifelong career construction executive, Thayer recognizes the importance of professional experience to long-term career readiness and success. In 1965, the Columbus native founded what is now Thayer-Bray Construction LLC. Over the years, and through multiple recessions, the company has significantly shaped the local landscape as it expanded from residential projects to major commercial developments.

“Education is the one thing nobody can take from you once you have it,” Thayer said, speaking to the inaugural group of Thayer Scholars of the college experience as a compounding investment in yourself. “Always keep in mind ways you can keep growing it, keep adding to it.”

The program, administered by the Center for Career Coaching, awards one-time, single-semester scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 to undergraduates based on financial need. Columbus State President Stuart Rayfield emphasized that the costs of an internship—especially one outside Columbus—shouldn’t deter students from gaining experience that can boost their education and foster their career goals.

“The Thayers’ generosity means that students don’t have to sacrifice high-quality experiences due to their financial situations,” Rayfield explained while commending the Thayers for proposing the scholarship fund to the university last fall and for implementing it quickly enough to help students just a semester later. “This scholarship will provide students with ways to cover their living expenses and other obligations so they can explore career-building experiences both here in Columbus and farther away from our campus.”

Senior music performance major Ashlynn Mularchyk from Savannah, Georgia, is among the students who might have missed unique experiences without the Thayers’ support.

“The Thayer Scholarship provides me with essential financial support needed to participate in these programs,” Mularchyk said. “Without this support, my participation in these professional-caliber opportunities would be significantly more difficult to pursue.”

For students like senior kinesiology major Donovan Stone of Columbus, who is interning at Benning’s Soldier Performance Readiness Center, the Thayer Scholarship eases the burden that can come from internships conflicting with part-time jobs or incurring out-of-pocket costs.

“The Thayer Scholarship has helped offset financial barriers associated with unpaid internship hours, transportation and academic expenses,” Stone explained. “Because of this support, I am able to fully commit my time and energy to gaining meaningful, hands-on experience without financial stress.”

Access to enriching career-readiness experiences

Communication and education are central to Abby Hines’ internship at Piedmont Midtown Hospital. As a diabetes education intern, the senior biology major from Columbus is helping with patient education, reviewing charts, and analyzing lab results. She will eventually lead part of a diabetes education class.

“I am actually able to go to patient rooms and listen to them,” she said. “I am able to hear what the diabetes educator says and how she explains things…. My internship has already helped me better understand the hospital world and each role different professions play.”

At Fort Benning’s Soldier Performance Readiness Center, Stone is applying his classroom knowledge in anatomy, biomechanics, and exercise alongside physical therapists treating soldiers.

“[I’m observing] real patient interactions, clinical decision-making and professional communication in a healthcare environment. This experience is helping me build professional confidence, practical skills and a clearer understanding of career paths in physical therapy and human performance,” he explained, noting that the experience will strengthen his resume and graduate school applications.

Senior biology major Gabi Hernandez from Austin, Texas, who also plays on the Women's Soccer team, is also focusing on healthcare through her internship, but for four-legged patients. She’s shadowing veterinarians at Sharp Animal Hospital, gaining a real-time view of clinic operations, routine care and emergency procedures.

“…I get to participate in many hands-on activities that I never thought I would get to do until later down my career path,” she noted. “My internship is going to benefit me very well in my first post-graduate job or veterinary medicine school because I will be coming in with many hours of experience that sets me apart from others.”

Instead of a traditional internship, Mularchyk is using support from the Thayer Scholarship to fund her selection to perform with the Mid-South Flute Society and the Kentucky Flute Society.

“As an aspiring professional flutist, performing is essential to my career,” she explained. “These experiences will allow me to not only meet and network with other musicians and teachers I may not meet on a daily basis, but it will provide me with diverse professional-level feedback from the guest artist and peers….” 

A long-term strategy for student success

Patrick Keebler, director of the Center for Career Coaching, said the value of the Thayer Scholars Program extends well beyond the scholarship award. “This isn’t just a scholarship award—it’s a program,” he explained, highlighting networking and professional development opportunities that scholars will engage in throughout the semester, along with their field experiences.

The Thayers’ philanthropic investment in this initiative is part of an experiential learning strategy the university adopted in 2024 when it launched its current five-year strategic plan. That plan, built on President Stuart Rayfield’s vision outlined during her 2023 presidential investiture, calls for every Columbus State undergraduate student to participate in an experiential learning opportunity aligned with their post-graduation goals.

“What we’re hearing from companies is that students benefit from real-world experience so that they can see how what they’re doing in the classroom translates to what they’ll be doing later in their careers,” Rayfield (pictured with the Thayers and CSU Foundation trustee emeritus Jimmy Yancey '64) said. “Beyond their career field, these experiences, like internships, impart career-readiness skills like workplace professionalism, communication and teamwork to students.”

In early 2025, the university announced a $4 million upgrade to its student success model, centered around adding 40 new International Coaching Federation-certified academic and career success coaches. Through this one-of-a-kind coaching model among Georgia colleges and universities, academic and career success coaches partner to ensure all CSU students are career-ready upon graduation.

Career success coaches, like their academic coaching counterparts in the Center for Academic Coaching, specialize in a specific academic area and stay connected with the same students from their first year through graduation and beyond. They provide students with one-on-one career coaching, career planning and resources while also connecting them with internships and industry professionals.

Keebler looks to the Thayer Scholarship as a model to further scale donor-supported field experiences so more students can benefit in future semesters.