Mars Hill University Student Earns Blue Cross Scholarship

January 28, 2021

Mars Hill University student Kendall Bines received a Blue Cross NC Scholarship for the 2020-21 academic year. Bines, a senior from Lincolnton, North Carolina, is one of 25 students at independent colleges and universities across the state to receive the award. Scholarship recipients are students from North Carolina who are first-generation, underrepresented, or from families who demonstrate financial need. They must be a junior or senior and have a minimum grade point average of 2.5.

Bines is majoring in graphic design with a minor in creative writing. He’s a first-generation college student, works with Student Support Services, and serves as a mentor for first-year students. During his Mars Hill career he has been involved in several campus clubs and organizations, including the Black Student Association, Latinx Student Association, Marksmanship Society, and Student Government Association.

The Blue Cross NC Scholarships, in the amount of $3,333.34 each, were distributed by the Independent College Fund of North Carolina (ICFNC) and are part of a three-year, $250,000 pledge from Blue Cross NC.

“Blue Cross NC recognizes that our state’s economic, social and cultural health outcomes are tied to our students’ education,” said Reagan Greene Pruitt, vice president of marketing and community engagement at Blue Cross NC. “We are proud to partner with ICFNC and strengthen our workforce by supporting North Carolina’s brightest students.”

“We are so grateful to Blue Cross NC for their generous commitment to North Carolina’s independent colleges and universities – providing much needed financial resources for so many deserving students,” said Colleen Kinser, director of the ICFNC.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is committed to making health care better, simpler and more affordable. We have been driving better health in North Carolina since 1933, working to tackle our communities’ greatest health challenges. Blue Cross NC serves its customers and communities of more than 3.8 million members, including approximately 1.1 million on behalf of other Blue Plans. Blue Cross NC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit Blue Cross NC online at www.bluecrossnc.com.