Erskine names latest Stanford Award winners
The winners of this year’s Stanford Award are Maggie McManus of Winnsboro, S.C., and Harrison Bult of Columbia, S.C. Both students are homeschooled.
The Stanford Award is given to “a high school senior who has demonstrated a commitment to the Gospel and to ministry excellence during his or her high school years.” The award is named for the Rev. Henry G. Stanford, Jr. in honor of his faithful service as a pastor and missionary. Stanford is a 1967 graduate of Erskine and completed his studies at Erskine Theological Seminary in 1983.
Maggie found out that she’d won when Director of Campus Ministries and External Relations Jamie Williams called her. Maggie’s father, the Rev. James McManus, pastor of Bethel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Winnsboro, nominated her for the award.
“The Lord has truly blessed her with a faith that she is open about and shares with others,” McManus wrote in his nomination. “Maggie sets this example for her siblings…there are many times I’ve heard her encourage her sister and brother and pray with them.”
She is dedicated to strengthening her faith. “Each morning, as soon as Maggie wakes up, she has her daily devotions, which include Bible reading, note-taking, and prayer,” McManus wrote.
Maggie has also served at Camp Joy, a special needs camp with locations in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
“I’ve been really involved with special needs camps since I was a freshman,” she says. “I’ve been to three of the four locations they have. I do multiple weeks during the summer.”
Prior to receiving notice of the Stanford Award, Maggie had already committed to coming to Erskine, “but this definitely helped the final decision,” she says. At Erskine, she plans to major in business and is looking forward to beginning her Erskine experience.
“I’m very excited to learn things from a Christian worldview,” says Maggie. She’s also signed up and committed to the cheerleading team at Erskine and hopes to get involved with campus ministries.
Harrison attends First Presbyterian Church (ARP) in Columbia, South Carolina, and for the past several summers, he has worked at Bonclarken Conference Center in Flat Rock, N.C. He will be working there again this year and was nominated for the award by a supervisor at the camp, Norman “Trip” McGill ’82.
Harrison’s father, the Rev. Bryan Bult ’95 ’03 (Sem.), attended Erskine as an undergraduate and returned to Erskine Theological Seminary to earn his Master of Divinity degree. He is the Associate Minister to Seniors at First Presbyterian.
At Bonclarken, Harrison alternated between serving as a camp counselor and assisting with maintenance and other needs at the conference center. Like Maggie, he’s also been active with Camp Joy.
“I’ve been in the ARP most of my life, and I try to participate in as many things as I can,” Harrison says. “That’s kind of led me to do ministry. I try to do things in my church and in the ARP that will give me opportunities to get a feel for ministry.”
In his nomination, McGill was effusive in his praise of Harrison. “I highly recommend Harrison Bult to you for consideration for this award. He is one of our finest counselors and staff members,” McGill wrote. “He has proven to be trustworthy and committed. He will be a wonderful addition to the Erskine campus.”
At Erskine, Harrison plans to major in Bible & Theology and is excited about both the college’s faith-based mission and small size.
“I’m really excited to have that kind of guidance and teaching in specifically learning about the Bible,” Harrison says. “I’m excited about the community as well.” He plans to become active in campus ministry and hopes to join the Choraleers.
The Stanford Award is an Erskine College scholarship initiated by Director of Campus Ministries and External Relations Jamie Williams, who served for 30 years in ministry before joining the Erskine College staff.
“This is a fund that celebrates students who have a love for the gospel ministry, providing a financial award that will help them come to the very special campus of Erskine College,” he says.
Click here to make an impact by contributing to the Henry Stanford Scholarship Fund.
Generous donors who helped make the 2026 Stanford Award possible include the following:
Shirley Adams, Lamar Atkins, Chris Brown, Kenny Campbell, Tim Clark, James Cochran, Mark DuBose, Kay Hiott, Beth Kennerly, James Martin, Grace Karvelas McDuffie, Kathleen Moore, Gail Seastrunk, Henry Stanford, Marty Stanford, Margaret Waldrop, Shirley Walton, David White, Jamie Williams and Phyllis Williams, and Caroline Woolard. Business and church donors include Bethel Baptist Church, Sumter, S.C.; China One, Honea Path, S.C.; Holly Springs Baptist Church, Inman, S.C.; and Los Palenques, Honea Path, S.C.
