Western Carolina University

When Mark Holliday (pictured), professor of computer science, pondered how to participate in The Campaign for Western, his thoughts turned to John Proffitt, one of his first students at Western.

Proffitt, who graduated from WCU magna cum laude and works as a software developer, started a scholarship fund two years ago called “Proffitt’s Pecuniary Propitiousness Protocol” to benefit computer science students.

“I thought it was wonderful that John wanted to help future students at Western,” said Holliday. “My contribution to his scholarship fund through The Campaign for Western is in appreciation of John and in support of our computer science students. There is a great deal of demand for our program’s graduates and software developers. Many go into industry directly or to graduate school.”

Proffitt’s endowed fund generates an annual approximately $500 scholarship for rising juniors and seniors who are promising and deserving computer science students, with preference given to students from Western North Carolina.

Holliday said Proffitt has met the scholarship recipients, including presenting the award to the first recipient, James Ruff of Waynesville, and keeps up-to-date with developments at the university.

Proffitt’s ties to Cullowhee go beyond his college years, when his father was principal and he was a student in the McKee Laboratory School, which is now known as the McKee Building.

“There are lots of things that make WCU special to me,” said Proffitt. “I vividly remember attending football games in a stadium located under Buzzards Roost behind what is now Stillwell Science Building. At that time the area of campus across the road from Reid Gymnasium was a cow pasture. I remember my aunt warning me not to go over there, because I might get chased by the bull!”

Proffitt said those memories were still with him when he returned to Cullowhee as a transfer student in 1992.

“My experience as a student was gratifying in that most of my core classes were quite small,” said Proffitt.

During the annual mathematics and computer science awards banquet, he noticed math professors had scholarships to award, “but the computer science faculty had none,” he said. “Some years later I was motivated to address that deficiency by creating a scholarship for computer science students.”

Guiding the effort was the example of his mother, Juanita Proffitt, who endowed a scholarship in the field of education to honor his father, Brank Proffitt. His parents are long-time supporters of Western.

“I am moved by the ongoing commitment of John and his family to help students,” Holliday said.

Check out The Campaign for Western or contact Brett Woods at (828) 227-7124 or bwoods@wcu.edu for information about
how to support The Campaign for Western.