U of A alumni Stephanie and Kevin Wilcox made a $250,000 gift to the Land of Opportunity Scholarship Endowment. Their gift will address the critical funding gap that can limit students’ access to education.

"We are immensely grateful to Kevin and Stephanie Wilcox for their generous contribution to the Land of Opportunity Scholarship," said Chancellor Charles Robinson. "Their support will be instrumental in fulfilling our land-grant mission to uplift all Arkansans, and we are thrilled about the impact their generosity will have on so many lives."

The Land of Opportunity Scholarship — a three-year campaign that launched on Nov. 12, 2024 — will improve educational access for students from all 75 counties in Arkansas, create a partnership between the university and businesses throughout the state and fulfill the institution’s land-grant mission to serve Arkansas.

“We want to help students in Arkansas, and there can be so many barriers on the path to a college degree,” Stephanie said. “My best friend was a first-generation college student, and I’ve seen how life-changing her college experience was. This scholarship will provide access to that opportunity for countless students across the state.”

Kevin added that supporting Land of Opportunity Scholarships was an easy decision. “Chancellor Robinson and Vice Chancellor (Scott) Varady made it clear that this is about more than just writing students a check,” he said. “Improving support mechanisms for students and encouraging communities and businesses to get involved will result in much better outcomes for our students.”

The Wilcox family has made significant contributions of their time and resources throughout the years. In 2018, they contributed $200,000 to the Advance Arkansas scholarship initiative, supporting students in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design and the Sam M. Walton College of Business. During that campaign, Kevin served on the Campaign Arkansas Steering Committee and the Campaign Arkansas Central Arkansas Unit committee. He has also served on the Walton College Alumni Advisory Council and the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design Dean's Circle.

The Wilcoxes also contribute to the Jerry and J.C. Wilcox Endowed Scholarship, named in honor of Kevin’s father, Jerry, an architect and U of A alumnus. Other gifts to the Fay Jones School include recent support for the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation and the Dean’s Endowed Chair in Design Leadership.

“We are grateful for Kevin and Stephanie’s generous support of the Land of Opportunity Scholarship initiative,” said Varady, vice chancellor for advancement. “Time and again, they are key champions of the university’s efforts to ensure student success, and we can’t thank them enough for their steadfast commitment to and investment in Arkansas students, the university and our state.”

“This is an opportunity to try to level the playing field for students that are up there academically, that want to do well but just have more demands on their time than many of their peers,” Kevin continued. “Stephanie worked many different jobs during college. She is very empathetic to students who must work and borrow money to help balance their academic and financial responsibilities. This scholarship addresses those challenges specifically.”

Kevin is a Little Rock native and holds a bachelor’s degree from the Walton College. He started his career in mergers and acquisitions at Lehman Brothers and Investcorp International in New York City. He joined Stephens Inc. in 1992 and eventually served as head of Stephens Investment Banking. In 2007, Kevin moved to his current role as managing director of Stephens Capital Partners, which manages investments on behalf of the Stephens family.

Stephanie is from Pine Bluff. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. She is a passionate advocate for underserved youth and young adults, particularly those who have aged out of foster care. She currently serves on the board of directors for Immerse Arkansas — a non-profit focused on crisis-affected youth — and regularly volunteers for the organization.

Stephanie and Kevin live in Little Rock and have three children – Samuel, Matthew and Isabel. Isabel is a current U of A student in Walton College.

The Wilcoxes are members of the Chancellor’s Society and are counted as Thoroughreds for their consecutive years of giving to the U of A. They are life members of the Arkansas Alumni Association.

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About the Land of Opportunity Scholarship: The Land of Opportunity Scholarship campaign is a three-year initiative to further educational access opportunities for students from all 75 counties in Arkansas, improve graduation rates, create two-way engagement between the university and businesses throughout the state, and fulfill the institution’s land-grant mission to uplift Arkansas. As of Mar. 1, the campaign has raised 64% of its goal in 11% of the time through more than $127,264,639 in pledges and commitments.

About University Advancement: University Advancement advances the mission of the University of Arkansas by raising private gift support from alumni, friends, parents, foundations, corporations, and other institutional supporters. Working in philanthropic partnership with academic leaders and volunteers, Advancement team members are determined to advance the people, work, and impact of the greater whole at the University of Arkansas.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.