When Kourtney Ratliff Gibson, chief executive officer of Retirement Solutions at TIAA, established the Kourtney K. Ratliff Endowed Scholarship at the University of Miami, she demonstrated a belief in students’ potential before they ever had the chance to prove it.
Gibson earned her business degree from the University’s Patti and Allan Herbert Business School in 2003, an experience she describes as formative. “Miami Herbert gave me an extraordinary foundation in business and surrounded me with a community of people who challenged and inspired me,” she said.
Gibson has remained deeply connected to the University ever since, as past president of the Alumni Association and past member of the University's Board of Trustees. Currently, she serves on the Dean's Advisory Council at Miami Herbert.
She established the scholarship in 2013 to support students pursuing business degrees and help close the tuition gaps that too often stand between talented students and their dreams. “Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity and access are not,” Gibson said, “and I wanted to do something concrete about that.”
Myles Kaye and Destiny Curry know that feeling well.
“One of the biggest challenges has been the financial burden, especially the concern of taking on significant student loan debt,” Kaye, a South Florida native triple-majoring in accounting, finance, and marketing with a minor in business analytics, said. “This scholarship has helped to alleviate that burden, allowing me to focus not only on my education but also on building a stable financial future without being weighed down by additional debt.”
For Destiny Curry, a junior from The Bahamas studying business management, the challenge was compounded by the realities of life as an international student. “Coming to the United States and having to adapt to this new lifestyle, paying school fees, and being on my own has discouraged me at times,” Curry said. “However, this scholarship has helped me combat those concerns and equipped me to complete my journey at such a prestigious University.”
Freed from financial worry, both students have thrown themselves into their academics and campus communities. Kaye has co-founded and helped lead a business fraternity, served on the Homecoming executive committee, and represented the University as a President’s 100 Ambassador. He has also served as president of First-Year CONNECT within the Miami Herbert Business School, where he will soon assume the role of chair of Category 5, the University’s spirit programming board that preserves campus traditions and elevates the student‑section experience at athletic events.
“This scholarship allowed me to fully focus on my studies, my involvement on campus, and my personal growth,” he said. “Instead of worrying about financial barriers, I am able to maximize my college experience and contribute meaningfully to my community.”
Curry, recognized as a Foote Fellows Honor student, has pursued multiple academic paths, including dance, public relations, and organizational leadership. She serves as president of First Gen Canes, an organization dedicated to supporting first-generation college students, and as director of public relations for Girl Gains, while also pursuing a leadership role with the Caribbean Students Association.
For Curry, receiving the scholarship carried a meaning beyond just finances. “After being accepted, I felt a sense of accomplishment that there was someone out in the world who saw the potential in me,” she said. “Someone who believed that I could make an impact in this world, and to me, that’s all the motivation I need to keep pushing.”
Both students speak about the scholarship with equal measures of gratitude and responsibility. Kaye’s long-term goal is to become chief financial officer of a sports organization. He plans to pursue a master’s in taxation, become a certified public accountant, and start in public accounting before moving into corporate leadership. “My education in accounting and finance, combined with marketing and business analytics, has prepared me to approach business challenges from multiple perspectives,” he said.
Curry envisions a career in the luxury hospitality industry and plans to pursue an M.B.A., a passion rooted in her very first job at a resort in The Bahamas. “Majoring in business management, I have gained a lot of hands-on experience through projects, guest speakers, and experiential learning courses,” she said. “This has helped me organize my future and fulfill my passion.”
Both are already thinking about giving back. “Kourtney’s generosity provides students like me with the opportunity to pursue our dreams, fully engage in our communities, and grow into future leaders,” Kaye said. “Every opportunity I’ve taken advantage of and every impact I’ve made on campus is a direct result of their support.”
Curry’s message to scholarship donors was equally direct: “You didn’t have to, but you did. You could’ve said no, but you said yes. You are helping to make the future leaders of this world.”
For Gibson, that spirit is precisely what she had hoped to cultivate. In 2024, she attended a donor luncheon at Miami Herbert and shared a meal with two scholarship recipients. “Sitting across from two remarkable young women and seeing their drive and limitless potential was one of the most moving experiences of my career,” she said. “That afternoon reminded me exactly why I established this scholarship.”
Her message to current and future recipients is simple: “I am rooting for you, I believe in you, and I cannot wait to see what you build.”
As Gibson reflects on her own path, the purpose behind the scholarship comes into focus. “I sit where I am today because people took the time to pour into me and believed in me enough to open doors,” she said. “This scholarship is my way of opening those same doors for the next generation.”
For Kaye, Curry, and the students who will follow in their footsteps, those doors are already open.
