Rob and Shannon Ardis Pay it Forward

Rob and Shannon Ardis’ lives were forever altered when they received scholarships to Francis Marion University.

Both grew up in rural Georgetown County and graduated from Pleasant Hill High School in 1994 at the top of their class–Shannon as Valedictorian and Rob as Salutatorian.

Shannon had a career plan laid out from her junior year of high school: graduate with a biology degree and pursue a graduate degree in physical therapy.

Rob’s path was not so straightforward. Knowing he did not have the means to pay tuition, Rob applied for scholarships and looked into any program he could find that would allow him to get a degree. As enrollment time drew near, Rob thought his best option was an ROTC scholarship program that required four years of military service after graduation.

As fate would have it, in the last few months before college, Rob was awarded a full scholarship to Francis Marion University.

“I did a lot of worrying and praying,” Rob said. “And when I got the letter from Francis Marion, I realized I could go there without paying for tuition. So I said, ‘sign me up!’ It was awesome to have that opportunity.”

Rob and Shannon both arrived on campus in the fall of 1994 as first-generation college students. Shannon stayed the course with her biology degree, while Rob took some time to weigh out all his options. After sampling various STEM majors, he eventually settled on double majoring in math and physics.

After graduating from Francis Marion in 1998, Rob went on to get an electrical engineering degree from the University of Tennessee. Shannon continued down her planned path and obtained her graduate degree in physical therapy from East Carolina University.

After many years of hard work, Rob is now the President and CEO of Santee Electric Cooperative, and Shannon practices physical therapy at Three Rivers Therapy Associates in Florence.

The Ardises live in Florence and have two children, Cade and Ava, who have both expressed interest in engineering.

Looking back on their journey together, Rob credits Francis Marion with getting him where he is in life today. The scholarship Rob received to Francis Marion put him on a path that led him not only to his successful career, but also to his family.

“I have no idea where I would have ended up if it had not been for Francis Marion,” Rob said. “That scholarship letter shaped my life. Between that letter and meeting Shannon, those two things ended up making me who I am.”

It was that sentiment that led the Ardises to give back to Francis Marion University. Driven by the gratitude they both feel for the opportunities afforded them by Francis Marion, they chose to set up an endowed scholarship fund for first-generation students in the same majors they had.

The Ardises hope that the scholarship will be the difference between attending and not attending college for the students that receive it.

“I would like to see the scholarship help students who would not have the opportunity to go if not for the scholarship,” Rob said. “That’s how I think about Francis Marion. If not for this university, what would I be doing?”

In addition to Francis Marion’s affordability, the Ardises are also appreciative of the specialized attention and instruction they received.

“Francis Marion is an amazing place,” Rob said. “I had such a personal relationship with my professors. Because of the size of Francis Marion, you get so much one-on-one attention. I know it’s a cliché, but you’re not just a number. It really feels that way here.”

The Rob & Shannon Ardis STEM Endowed Scholarship will be awarded to first-generation students who major in biology, math, physics or engineering, as well as meet financial need requirements. The legacy of this scholarship is to honor the Ardis’ spirit of pride in Francis Marion and gratitude for all the success that resulted from their university experience.