UA alumni give $250,000 to ‘Opportunity’ scholarship campaign

University of Arkansas alumni Stephanie and Kevin Wilcox of Little Rock have given $250,000 to the Land of Opportunity Scholarship Endowment, according to a university news release.

“We are immensely grateful to Kevin and Stephanie Wilcox for their generous contribution to the Land of Opportunity Scholarship,” said Chancellor Charles Robinson. “Their support will be instrumental in fulfilling our land-grant mission to uplift all Arkansans, and we are thrilled about the impact their generosity will have on so many lives.”

As of March 1, the Land of Opportunity Scholarship campaign had raised 64% of its goal in 11% of the time with more than $127.26 million in pledges and commitments. The three-year initiative is expected to expand educational access for students from all 75 counties in Arkansas, improve graduation rates, and create two-way engagement between the UA and businesses throughout the state.

“We want to help students in Arkansas, and there can be so many barriers on the path to a college degree,” said Stephanie Wilcox. “My best friend was a first-generation college student, and I’ve seen how life-changing her college experience was. This scholarship will provide access to that opportunity for countless students across the state.”

Stephanie Wilcox is from Pine Bluff and earned a bachelor’s degree from the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. She serves on the board of directors for Immerse Arkansas, a nonprofit focused on crisis-affected youth.

Kevin Wilcox is a Little Rock native and earned a bachelor’s degree from the Sam M. Walton College of Business. He started his career in mergers and acquisitions at Lehman Brothers and Investcorp International in New York City. He joined Stephens Inc. in 1992 and served as head of Stephens Investment Banking. In 2007, he started in his existing role as managing director of Stephens Capital Partners, which manages investments on behalf of the Stephens family.