Donors open doors to support KSU vision

KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 3, 2020

Barry Hyman is a tireless advocate for the students of 肉肉传媒 and . He has taken the time to understand the financial challenges that KSU students face and has made it his mission to support students and engage the larger Atlanta community in the effort to raise scholarship funds for students. Over the course of the last decade, Hyman has had an enormous impact leading by example.

Sylvia and Barry Hyman
Sylvia and Barry Hyman
Currently in his third term as a trustee of the , Hyman became a member of the advisory council for KSU Journey Honors College in 2018. Last year, he and his wife, Sylvia donated $100,000 to endow scholarships for Honors students and help provide recognition celebrations for KSU Journey Honors College graduates. Through a matching opportunity founded by Rosemary and John Brown, the Hymans' $100,000 gift was matched at 100 percent by the Browns and 50 percent by the KSU Foundation, for a total endowment of $250,000.

鈥淎s an advisory council member and donor to the college, Barry has created value for Honors students and KSU Journey Honors College in a way that transcends expectations. We are grateful for the Hyman family鈥檚 support,鈥 said Dean Rita Bailey.

In addition to the Honors College, Barry and Sylvia Hyman have strategically advocated for the University, which has helped KSU secure several significant gifts, including Fifth Third Bank鈥檚 sponsorship of KSU athletics, and Michael and Andrea Leven鈥檚 donation to .

The Hymans also have endowed scholarships in the and have supported KSU鈥檚 education-abroad programs in Montepulciano, Italy. The Barry and Sylvia Hyman Endowed International Scholarship has supported student international education programsparticularly through the Honors cohort, one of the most elite and competitive academic enrichment programs on campus, which provides opportunities for 25 Honors students to study classic literature in Italy.

Brandon Vines, who graduated from KSU in 2018, said that his semester in Montepulciano in the Great Books program would not have been possible without the Hymans鈥 support. Now a law student at Columbia University in New York, he credits his experiences with the Honors College for his transformation from computer science major to future lawyer.

鈥淭he Honors Great Books cohort dramatically altered that course of my life,鈥 Vines said. 鈥淢y experiences in the Honors College helped me reach goals beyond what I had even imagined. It truly shaped my future.鈥

Barry Hyman, a native of High Point, North Carolina, earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He met Sylvia at their synagogue in High Point, where she studied elementary education at High Point University. After college, he accepted a position with Arthur Andersen in Atlanta and has remained in the area for nearly 50 years. While working as a CPA at Arthur Andersen by day, Hyman earned a law degree at Emory University at night. He later transitioned into insurance and financial services by opening his own company, Veracor, LLC.

With his company thriving and his steadfast desire to lend a hand, Hyman remains extremely active in the Atlanta community and with the University. He said he is happy to make the necessary connections and introductions to help KSU achieve success as well.

鈥淚 view it as an opportunity where I can make a difference on a grand scale,鈥 he said. 鈥溔馊獯 State has so much to offer, and this is a chance to continue to help it become an even greater institution.鈥 


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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 肉肉传媒 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 肉肉传媒 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 肉肉传媒 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.