Shepherd Awarded the McBride Berman Family Scholarship

Fall 2021, EKU’s Berman Center for Professional Sales Scholarship Committee announced the inaugural awarding of the McBride Berman Family Scholarship to a very deserving Marketing and Sales Minor student, Stryder Shepherd. Founded on the generosity of Maribeth and Louis Berman, this exciting opportunity will be awarded annually.

In his application for The McBride Berman Family Scholarship, Stryder submitted the following, "In my time at Eastern Kentucky University, it took me a while to find what I am truly passionate about. I stumbled through three different declared majors until I found my footing.I am now a declared marketing major, and I am pursuing a minor in sales."

Having found his passion, Stryder set to work building an impressive track record of leadership positions, including taking on the role as President of Pi Sigma Epsilon Sales Fraternity at EKU. As President, Stryder has also represented EKU’s Berman Center for Professional Sales in a number of local, regional, and national collegiate sales competitions. Stryder’s passion and hard work align perfectly with the vision set by Louis and Maribeth Berman.

"We believe in the power of a college education," said Maribeth Berman, "and we believe that education isn't only in the classroom, but also in public lecture series, student organizations, intramural and varsity sports, and other activities that make up a total college experience. It is our hope that portions of our pledge will go toward programs that will ignite a passion in studentsa passion they maybe didn't know they had."

The 2021-2022 Scholarship Award was a difficult choice for the scholarship committee due to the number of highly qualified candidates in the review process. Students must be full-time EKU students in good academic standing who are seeking a Sales Minor or Sales Certificate. They must also demonstrate a high level of student involvement and leadership experience.

Beyond his strong academic performance and involvement with Pi Sigma Epsilon, Stryder has held sales positions with Fastenal and Bandalier / Gridwise, and he currently works at Demand, Inc. Other leadership positions that Stryder has held while at EKU include Historian, Philanthropy Chairman, and Standards Board for Theta Chi Fraternity Member.

In the May 13, 2022, College of Business graduation ceremony, Stryder was one of the first students to graduate with the newly introduced Sales Minor. EKU proudly began to offer this minor in Fall 2021. This minor distinguishes EKU as the first college or university in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to offer a focused program in sales education.

Students may apply for the McBride Berman Family Scholarship each year. Applications are taken until March 31 and recipients are notified in May. This scholarship is open to all EKU students of any major with a demonstrated interest in sales as evidenced by satisfying the requirements for the scholarship.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be enrolled during the term of the award as a full-time student in good academic standing at the University

• Be seeking a Sales Certificate, Sales Minor, and/or a Sales Concentration as a marketing major through the Berman Center for Professional Sales

• Have a GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 GPA scale

• Provide a written essay demonstrating a high level of student involvement and leadership experience, with a focused interest in a sales career.