Since she was 3, Bella Majarais, a 2025 graduate of Wade Hampton High School, has wanted to be an actor. Now she’s studying for a bachelor of fine arts degree in theatre performance at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, with a goal of working in TV and film.
To help fund her education, Majarais received financial aid from the university, as well as three local scholarships administered by Community Foundation of Greenville: the Greenville County Fire Chiefs’ Association Scholarship; the Obermier Scholarship; and the Rama Memorial Scholarship for the Greenville City Fire Department.
The Greenville County Fire Chiefs’ Association set up a scholarship fund in 1995 to promote higher education for firefighters and their spouses or children. Mary Belle Obermier established the Obermier Scholarship with a gift from her estate in 2012 to help academically deserving students. The Rama Family funded a scholarship in 2006 to promote opportunities for higher education for children of members of the Greenville City Fire Department.
Majarais qualified for two of the scholarships through her father, a firefighter, and learned of the other when applying through CFG.
“My dad always told us there is a scholarship for kids of firefighters,” she said. “Applying for scholarships is not always easy and fun, but even if it’s not a ton of money, it helps bridge the gaps. Community Foundation of Greenville makes it easy to apply, with a streamlined process. You never know what’s out there until you look.”
Majarais, who attended the Fine Arts Center’s theatre performance program while in high school, has enjoyed her college classes in acting, stage movement, voice and diction.
“The acting classes are teaching the Meisner method,” Majarais said. “The professor worked in the industry, so her knowledge and coaching are fantastic.”
Majarais heard about Belmont’s program when someone mentioned it during a college visit at Vanderbilt. She and her mother made a detour to check it out.
“Mom and I both fell in love,” she said. “The people, the program, the neighborhood and campus life, everything about it fit so well. It felt like home.”
Majarais is also enrolled in Belmont’s Global Honors program and is pursuing a double major in psychology.
Majarais advised high school students to keep an open mind when choosing a college until they find the one that feels right.
“Put yourself out there and really be yourself — that lets you stand out,” she said. “Use whatever makes you uniquely talented. That will take you a lot further.”
To learn more about scholarships administered by the Community Foundation of Greenville, visit https://www.cfgreenville.org/grants-impact/scholarships/
Visit cfgreenville.org to learn more about the Community Foundation of Greenville.
