Mother-Son Duo Pave the Way for First-Generation and Minority Students

Philip Bell ’19 noticed a startling trend during his years at Presbyterian College.

“I witnessed really smart kids who fit well into PC have to take time off due to the gravity of expenses incurred while attending PC,” Bell explained.

These students, he observed, tended to be minority or firstgeneration college students.

This was the inspiration for the newest scholarship at PC, the Philip T. Bell ’19 Endowed Scholarship.

Bell, along with his mother Louise Slater, wanted to help curb this problem. Slater is currently serving on the PC Board of Trustees as secretary of the Board.

“It is long past due for PC to have a scholarship dedicated to first-gen and minority students,” Slater said. “Honestly, we couldn’t believe there wasn’t one already. It was important to both of us. Diversity and inclusion make all of us better people and are consistent with PC’s mission and vision.”

Bell and Slater first met when Bell was in middle school. According to Slater, “Philip and I became close when his grandmother came to my office when he was in middle school. He was one of the brightest, most inquisitive kids I had ever worked with as an educational consultant!”

The two became closer as the years went by, eventually forming the mother-son relationship they have now. “We are mother and son now in our hearts,” Slater explained.

When Bell was looking at colleges, Slater immediately suggested he look at PC. Slater’s father was friends with former PC President Bob Staton. Staton and Slater had also worked together in creating a nonprofit organization, Friends of Juvenile Justice.

“PC’s liberal arts education, its emphasis on critical thinking, and its emphasis on personalized attention seemed perfect for him [Bell],” Slater said.

While attending PC, Bell was able to witness the school’s growth due to the work of the Statons.

“Bob and Phyllis joined during the same period I joined PC,” he said. “I got the unique opportunity to watch so many initiatives be implemented and so much growth.”

Although she did not attend college at PC, the school still holds a special place in her heart.

“I have many close friends who attended PC,” she said. “Two of my administrative managers at our company, The Price Group, graduated from PC and so did my business partner’s brother and sister.”

The Philip T. Bell ’19 Endowed Scholarship is an extension of Bell and Slater’s goals for the future of the school.

“I am hoping this scholarship creates more opportunities for first-generation students and minority students to enjoy PC for all that it has to offer,” Bell said. “I’m also hoping that includes Maymesters and semester abroad, as well as tuition.”

Slater echoed these sentiments. “I hope others will see what we have done and will double, triple, and quadruple the scholarships for first-gen and minority students!” she said. “It is who PC is at its very heart.”

The scholarship’s memorandum of understanding reflects this concept, reading, “The purpose of the Scholarship is to provide needbased financial support to students who identify as first-generation and/or minority and are enrolled full-time at Presbyterian College. Funds from the Scholarship may be used for tuition, room and board, books, travel, internships, and any other opportunities that provide first-generation and/or minority students educational opportunities both inside and outside the traditional classroom.”

Slater and Bell decided to dedicate the scholarship in honor of the Statons because of the work they did while at PC.

“Bob has been an incredible leader as President, and both he and Phyllis have been tireless in growing staff, faculty, students, and facilities; making PC secure for the future,” Slater said.

“When I think about the motto, Dum Vivimus Servimus, I can’t think of a better way to honor the Statons and Philip than by giving others the same opportunity.”

The two hope to see the first recipients of the Philip T. Bell ’19 Endowed Scholarship awarded in the upcoming 2021–22 school year.

Louise Slater and Philip Bell. Bell ’19 will be attending Babson College’s Entrepreneurial MBA program this fall.