The mission of the Sydney Elizabeth McMakin memorial Scholarship is to support the educational endeavors of students from James F. Byrnes High School attending USC Upstate, and to inspire young adults toward positive social change through education and community service.  In essence, we hope to encourage the spirit of "paying it forward".

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On December 30, 2011, 16-year-old Sydney McMakin suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism due to complications after a routine outpatient procedure.  Having been diagnosed with a heart condition called SVT, four years earlier, Sydney made a very brave and conscious choice to undergo the procedure, removing the fear of an SVT attack from her daily life.

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The treatment was a success.  Sydney was proud of her determination and relieved that she could put this behind her.  But as with any medical procedure, recovery involved a risk - a very minute, but very real risk of developing blood clots.  Sydney became that "one in a million" affected by this risk and our world will never be the same.

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Though her untimely death is inexplicably hard to bear, Sydney's extraordinary spirit lives on.  It is in honor of her amazing smile and the indelible mark she made on our lives, that the Sydney Elizabeth McMakin Memorial Scholarship fund was established.  Over the years, we have worked to build an endowment which will support the scholarship indefinitely, encouraging students to change the world through education and reminding those in our community that this very special young lady truly was "one in a million".

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Those wishing to contribute to the Sydney Elizabeth McMakin Memorial Scholarship Endowment can click on the donation tab above for details.