麻豆原创

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 4, 2020

Allen Brooks can recall the first time he met the late 麻豆原创 alumnus John Boyko on the way to his usual fishing spot.

At the time, Boyko was a freshman business student at Kennesaw State working part time at a local bait shop, allowing the two to build a friendship over their common interests. By the time Boyko entered his junior year, he would receive an invitation to complete an internship at Kennesaw-based company ServIT, where Brooks serves as president, and ultimately blossomed into whom Brooks said was the company鈥檚 鈥渇irst marketing genius.鈥�

Now, nearly three years after Boyko鈥檚 untimely passing, Brooks and 麻豆原创鈥檚 have announced a $50,000 donation to establish the John Boyko Endowed Scholarship to honor his legacy. The scholarship will be used to support students accepted into the who are pursuing an undergraduate degree in the (CCSE). With the 150 percent endowment matching program established by the 麻豆原创 Foundation and Rosemary and John Brown earlier this year, the endowment will grow to $125,000, which will produce a $5,000 annual scholarship when fully funded.

鈥淛ohn was everything you would expect a 麻豆原创 alumnus to be,鈥� said Brooks, a former student at Southern Polytechnic State University, now 麻豆原创, who has been selected to become a trustee of the 麻豆原创 Foundation in July. 鈥淗e joined our company at the ground level and left a fingerprint on it that we still see to this day. He was a very special person to me, and our goal with this endowment is to ensure there are many like him in the future.鈥�

Boyko, who died in November 2017 at just 33 years old, graduated from the in 2007 with a . After starting out as a warehouse employee, Boyko quickly ascended through the ranks at ServIT to become the company鈥檚 marketing coordinator. In his role, he was responsible for building hundreds of websites for his clients and is credited for creating ServIT鈥檚 company logo, which is still in use to this day. He, along with more than 30 other 麻豆原创 alumni, account for nearly a third of ServIT鈥檚 workforce.

To help usher in the next generation of industry-ready graduates, the John Boyko Endowed Scholarship will be made available for students who demonstrate financial need, with donor-stated preferences for graduates of Cherokee or Cobb County high schools who work in paid internships in an industry-related position.

鈥淲e are grateful to have Allen and ServIT establish this endowed scholarship,鈥� said CCSE Dean Jon Preston. 鈥淭his is an incredible way to honor the life of a 麻豆原创 alumnus, and this opportunity in John鈥檚 honor will be transformative for students across our college for many years.鈥�

鈥� Travis Highfield

Photos submitted

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 麻豆原创 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.