Thanks to scholarships, Ryan Faucher ’15 graduated from the College of Charleston magna cum laude without any debt. Since graduation, he has been reciprocating.
“It’s only right to give back and pay it forward,” says the international business major and Spanish minor in the Honors College.
Being a recipient of the Guy and Betty Beatty Scholarship kickstarted Faucher’s desire to be involved with the College. As part of the “Beatty Bunch,” he attended an annual reception and regular meetings where he met donors and Beatty Scholar alumni.
“Being a Beatty Scholar was a good vehicle to create cohesion between donors and alumni,” says Faucher, who has been a regular donor to the Beatty Alumni Scholarship. “In fact, two years ago I met a Beatty Scholar and, as an alumnus, saw firsthand the impact of the scholarship.”
His scholarships also afforded Faucher the opportunity to study abroad over the summer. He studied in Innsbruck, Austria with Rene Dentiste Mueller, professor of management and marketing, and then did a semester at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Spain with CofC classmates and students from around the globe.
“I lived with students from Canada and Brazil, so beyond learning about the culture in Spain, I learned about the cultures of Canada and Brazil,” explains the Illinois native. “It was amazing to meet someone the same age with a totally different upbringing.”
Mueller, who taught Faucher both abroad and on campus, found him to be a delight.
“At one point, his jovial personality had me questioning whether he took his academics seriously, however, his fun-loving personality belied his academic achievements,” says Mueller. “I shouldn’t have worried; Ryan was the top academic performer in my class, and he had equal success in just about every class he took.”
Faucher
In addition to graduating with academic honors, Faucher was a member of seven academic honor societies and was not only selected as a Beatty Scholar but also a Boeing Scholar, both highly competitive School of Business programs that select students on both academic achievement and leadership potential. Faucher also received the Global Scholar designation for achieving a high degree of Spanish language proficiency.
“In my 30 plus years teaching in academia, I have never taught a student who had such a stellar record of academic achievements and who was so likable,” adds Mueller. “It is always difficult to predict which students will find success in business, however, this wasn’t the case with Ryan. When I met Ryan shortly after he matriculated, I wasn’t surprised that he was already successful in his job in insurance. I expect that the College will continue to hear good things about Ryan.”
Mueller was correct in her prediction. While it took him a little while to land a job with an international firm, Faucher is thrilled to now be working as an AVP – reinsurance broker for Artex Risk Solutions, which has more than 15 international offices, one of which is in Charleston.
Faucher is proud to still be close to the College and serve as a resource for students who wish to get plugged into the city’s professional community. He regularly attends events held by the Honors College, basketball games and the School of Business Strategic Investment Symposium.
He took the College’s sailing courses and is now sailing with CofC with his former college roommate, Justin Herp ’15, who recently moved back to Charleston.
In addition to sailing, Faucher introduced Herp to one of the ways he is giving back to the College — through a planned gift. In 2022, Faucher put the College in his will and created the Ryan C. Faucher ’15 Scholarship for out-of-state students with financial need. As a member of the Cistern Society and an inductee into its Porter’s Circle, an organization recognizing young alumni who graduated no more than 15 years ago who have included the College in their estate plans, Faucher attended the annual Cistern Society luncheon and invited Herp as his guest. The luncheon inspired Herp to add the College in his estate plan. He allocated funds to the Justin B. Herp ’15 (M.S.A. ’16) Endowed Scholarship, which will be awarded to future Master of Science in Accountancy students.
“I love staying connected with the College,” says Faucher. “It’s a great way to meet people with a commonality. It also brings about a sense of nostalgia that is both comforting and reassuring.”
He also enjoys meeting alumni around town, like when he discovered his classmate, Hannah Burke ’15, was the photographer for a photo shoot with his fiancé and her family.
“It’s really great to rekindle a college friendship a decade later,” says Faucher, who notes that many graduates stay in the Lowcountry and many more want to return. “It doesn’t really happen in too many places.”
That’s the magic of Charleston and the College, and why alumni like Faucher continue to be part of the fabric of the College of Charleston.
To further the impact of this scholarship, please consider making a gift by donating online and noting in the description field that your gift is restricted to the Ryan C. Faucher ’15 Scholarship.
