University of Mississippi alum Mark Paukune donated $62,000 to establish the Paukune Undergraduate Scholarship Endowment in the UM College of Liberal Arts. The scholarship will support students with learning disabilities.
The award will be given to full-time liberal arts students who have registered learning disabilities with the university’s Office of Student Disability Services. Learning disabilities include dyslexia, dysgraphia and many other conditions.
Paukune has dyslexia and dysgraphia, which caused him to struggle during his academic journey. The Forth Worth, Texas, native wanted to provide additional support and encouragement to students who may be struggling with the same issues he had.
“Students with learning disabilities get frustrated at an early age and put limits on themselves,” Paukune said. “I want these students to be directly recognized, because if you have learning differences, it doesn’t mean you’re not smart. In fact, chances are you’re really smart, but grades just don’t come easy.”
Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Lee Cohen expressed much excitement for Paukune’s gift and what it means for the disabled students in the liberal arts program.
“This gift reflects a personal understanding of both the challenges and the extraordinary potential of students who learn differently,” Cohen said. “This scholarship sends a powerful message that intellectual ability is not defined by a single pathway. … Perseverance, curiosity and support can change lives.”
Emma Lewis is a senior Chinese and international studies major from Tulsa, Okla. She has dyslexia and ADHD and is optimistic about the impact this scholarship could have on students with learning disabilities.
“This scholarship would have such a great impact on any student with learning disabilities, just by making them feel more comfortable and confident in their abilities,” Lewis said. “It definitely would for me.”
After graduating in 1987, Paukune went on to have a successful career at the Bank of America Private Bank as a managing director, private client adviser and institutional client adviser. He believes that what he learned through his liberal arts degree at the university was instrumental in his professional achievements
“My liberal arts degree taught me how to learn and how to use information not just to be stagnant with it but to apply it,” Paukune said. “Specifically, like political science and history, which were my majors: Those are things you apply to your life. You learn from the past, then apply it to the present and future.”
