A SHARED PASSION FOR GIVING BACK

Kyle and Alexis Stoner: Took Flight in 2016

Kyle and Alexis (Tymkiw) Stoner met in 2012 at the Eagle Catholic Campus Ministry's Welcome Weekend two weeks into their freshman year at Southern Miss. Just over a decade later, the couple recently established the Stoner Family College of Business and Economic Development Internship Scholarship Endowment.

position at Southern Miss brought the couple back to Hattiesburg and Alexis into the classroom.

As one of the School of Marketing’s internship coordinators, Alexis recognizes the tough decisions students face when choosing their internships.

“In my role, I see the struggle students endure. Their choice might be between paying their rent versus gaining vital work experience,” she said.

“Many students work either part-time or full-time in addition to their coursework. I can't in good conscience encourage them to leave paying jobs to take a nonpaid internship—even when vital, that would be impractical and unrealistic.”

Both Kyle and Alexis faced challenges with their internship experiences. Kyle was offered an accounting internship in Washington, D.C., but he was not able to take it due to travel, housing and daily living costs. Alexis took an unpaid internship in New Orleans to further her marketing skills. The Stoners wanted to alleviate that burden on current students by establishing an internship-focused scholarship for the next generation of Golden Eagle business students. The scholarship provides an opportunity for students to take the leap into a work experience that is critically important for their career paths, especially when those placements can lead students into their dream careers.

“We hope our scholarship will defray some of the costs associated with accepting a great internship, which can be a life-changing experience,” Kyle said. “Alexis and I know how important internships are in preparing for a future career.”

Golden Eagle Welcome Week (GEWW) Crew members, Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society members and participants in the British Studies Program.

Kyle’s Southern Miss experience began when he was just a child. He recalls feeling the excitement of game day at The Rock with his dad and walking under the beautiful live oaks on campus. Southern Miss has always felt like home.

Alexis’ path into academia began as a practitioner, providing her real-world knowledge to impart to her current students. “One of the constant joys in my life is helping people sharpen their skills. My corporate experience, coupled with the desire to teach, made coming back to Southern Miss as an instructor of marketing a perfect fit,” she said.

Alexis, a Slidell, La., native, received the Academic Excellence Scholarship to attend USM. Her sharp analytical skills and interest in communication's role in business drew her to the marketing program. When it came time for Kyle to choose which college he would attend, USM was on the radar for the Gulfport, Miss., native, but receiving the C Spire Presidential Scholarship sealed the deal. He knew the financial assistance would enable him to graduate college debt-free.

After earning their bachelor's and master’s degrees in business administration and accounting, respectively, the couple married and moved to New Orleans to begin their careers. Kyle accepted a position with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Alexis with Marriott Hotels. After a few years, the offer of a marketing instructor

The Stoners’ motivation to support Southern Miss started as students who had a desire to give back to the programs that meant so much to them. As scholarship recipients, they understood the impact of philanthropy firsthand. Starting with $10 a month, Kyle and Alexis slowly increased their giving as they progressed in their careers. To date, they have given for 11 years consecutively.

Both were active on campus. Kyle, a Sigma Nu, served as the vice president of the Student Government Association for two terms and was a member of Southern Style. Alexis served in multiple leadership positions across Pi Beta Phi, Student Government Association (Election Commission) and Lambda Sigma Honors Society. Both were Honors College Scholars,

He now works as a senior consultant for Deloitte, where he helps advise business leaders on areas of growth to improve business. He attributes much of his success to the School of Accountancy by providing opportunities to form connections in the business world.

“My professors certainly prepared me to pass the CPA exam and encouraged me to apply for internships with big international accounting firms. Classmates who had been where I was offered advice on how they prepared for the interviews and answered all my questions,” he said. “Those relationships and connections set me up to get my internship in the spring semester of my senior year. The internship then set me up to get a job, prepared me to navigate the industry and work my way up to the position I really wanted.”

Highly engaged Golden Eagles, Kyle and Alexis are also generous with their time volunteering as alumni advisors for Sigma Nu and Pi Beta Phi. “We love being able to remain involved with our fraternity and sorority. We are passionate about helping them grow and working with students to become the leaders that Greek Life helped us to be,” Alexis said.

The Stoners are Life Members of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, members of the Aubrey K. Lucas Society, the USM Foundation Honor Club at the Patrons of 1910 Level, and support Southern Miss Athletics through the Eagle Club.

Kyle and Alexis believe giving back is part of their connection with the University. “No matter where we end up, we know we can stay connected through philanthropy,” Kyle said. “Our Southern Miss stories are a big part of who we are, and it is important to us that we return what we received. Every little bit helps a student at Southern Miss.”