Parents of eight children, the Ballards remember scholarships to help their children attend college. They say it’s their turn to give back.
Author: Rachel Birchfield
Media Contact: Brianna Hoge
One of the first facts you learn when you meet Willie and Cynthia Ballard is that they are the parents of eight children, six of whom are still alive. Also included in their short list of facts to know about them is their strong belief in the correlation between higher education and improved quality of life for individuals, and their desire for improved quality of life for each of their children. I’m in
But, as any parent will tell you, a formal education is not easily achieved without support, especially with the high cost of college.
Despite a successful career as an engineer at Southern Company and Alabama Power (a career that spanned 40 years), Willie said the idea of sending all of his children to college was too much for him and his staying wife, Cynthia. He said it was quite a challenge. For many years she was her stay-at-home mother and volunteered as a substitute teacher at Birmingham City Schools.
Cynthia remembered the joy of her young twins, who were attending Ramsay High School at the time. When they were accepted and invited to participate in a summer program in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“With professors who have invested their time and energy into a unique learning experience, we are fortunate to see them join the program made possible by UAB to enhance summer out-of-the-class experiences. was,” she said. “I still remember those programs, smiling and talking about the different activities and projects we were involved in.”
This eventually led to the twins being inspired by their older brother, who graduated from engineering, to pursue careers in this field.
Two of the eldest Ballard sons attended UAB and one received a scholarship. Both sons graduated from his UAB and got jobs in their chosen fields. All of the Ballard children have graduated from Birmingham City Schools and earned higher education degrees from local colleges. The family says they recognize the value UAB brings to them and to the city of Birmingham.
So when it came to giving back, Cynthia said the question on the Ballard family’s mind was “Why not UAB?”
Willie, a retired engineer, said he was particularly impressed with the diversity efforts of Jeffrey Holmes, MD, Ph.D., dean of the UAB School of Engineering. Willie attended another university, but he took an evening graduate engineering course at UAB and a refresher course that helped him obtain his license as a registered professional engineer.
All the pieces stack up to reveal the big picture. The entire Ballard family came together to create his $50,000 scholarship to help underrepresented engineering students. Although named the Willie and Cynthia Ballard Endowed Scholarship, it represents the entire family. This donation supports underrepresented students and, in turn, the Faculty of Engineering’s goal of promoting a diverse student body, which is key to its educational mission. Preference is given to students from Birmingham.
“We love this city and wanted to do something special because of what UAB has meant to us,” Willie said. “At UAB, we really felt that we could tap into and realize the vision we had in terms of reaching out to underrepresented kids who want to go to engineering school. I was really impressed by their efforts and wanted to be a part of them.”
The Ballards donated in December 2021 and award scholarships to two engineering students each fall. The family donated an additional $2,000 of her to revitalize the scholarship program, with the first two of her students awarded in the fall of 2022.
“Diversity is one of UAB’s greatest strengths and one of the most important ways UAB Engineering is changing our profession,” says Holmes. “I am extremely grateful to Ballards’ leadership for helping students who may not have had the opportunity to pursue engineering pursue their potential and launch their careers at UAB.”
Empowered by the belief that “it is always better to give than to receive,” Cynthia hopes that one day other families will be able to follow Ballard’s example, and their gifts will give back to other families as well. I hope to encourage you to do so.
