Kim and Brad Bushnell have long cherished the University of Mississippi and the community it represents. For them, Ole Miss is also the place where their lives together began.
“We met in the Grove on a blind date — September 27, 1997,” Brad Bushnell recalled. “We fell in love with each other and with Ole Miss almost instantly. It has held a special place in our hearts ever since. We like to say Ole Miss is where our family started.”
In honor of their 25th wedding anniversary, Bushnell made a $55,000 gift to establish the Kimberly Bennett Bushnell Scholarship Endowment in the Patterson School of Accountancy. The gift was a surprise to his wife, who is a 1999 graduate of UM’s accountancy program.
Although Bushnell attended Vanderbilt University, he credits Ole Miss for one of the most important introductions of his life. When a friend suggested they visit Oxford for a game day, he agreed — never expecting to meet his future wife at the Delta Gamma house.
“We hit it off right away,” he said. “We didn’t want the night to end.”
His decision to establish the scholarship also came at a deeply personal moment. In November 2025, Kim Bushnell was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was detected early. She is now in remission.
“We have an excellent cancer program in our town, and we were fortunate to move quickly through the system,” he said. “She handled the entire journey with such strength and grace — just a couple of the many reasons I love her. A health scare like that really clarifies your feelings about someone. It makes you reflect on 25 years of marriage, the legacy you’re building and the values that matter most.”
After graduating from Ole Miss, Kim Bushnell earned a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Georgia in 2000 and began her career with Elliott Davis & Company. in Augusta, Georgia. She passed the CPA exam in 2001, later taking on both teaching and accounting roles. She now works as an accountant with Nichols Cauley and Associates, LLC in Rome, Georgia, where the couple lives with their children, Bo and Sarah Beth.
Bushnell, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and a longstanding Trustee at Berry College, said Ole Miss “captures everything that’s right about higher education.”
“They blend traditional Southern culture with modern energy,” he said. “They honor the past while embracing the future. They meet today’s educational demands without losing sight of their roots.”
As a “proud graduate” of the School of Accountancy, Kim Bushnell fondly remembers studying in the Grove on sunny days — usually with her accounting textbooks in tow. She also recalls now-Dean Mark Wilder’s courses with affection.
“He was a wonderful professor, and he’s doing an excellent job as dean,” she said. “The accounting school is growing in so many exciting directions, and I’m grateful to be part of that story.”
She also is honored to have an endowment bearing her name — especially one that will benefit students long into the future.
“It’s something that will outlive me, and I love that,” she said.
Jason McCormick, executive director for development, described the gift as especially meaningful.
“It’s always special when younger alumni want to give back,” he said. “For Brad to honor his wife in this way is truly touching. This gift will last indefinitely, and I hope it inspires others to support future students.”
Wilder called the endowment “a transformative gift that will open doors for generations.”
“We are grateful for the Bushnell’s generosity and honored to have the Kimberly Bennett Bushnell name on this wonderful scholarship,” he said. “We look forward to seeing the impact this gift will have as it enables countless accounting students to pursue their goals in the Patterson School.”
Reflecting on the donation’s lasting impact, Kim Bushnell noted, “Many gifts are meaningful but temporary. This will help people I’ll never meet, and what a blessing that is.”
The Kimberly Bennett Bushnell Scholarship Endowment is open to support from businesses and individuals. Gifts can be made by sending a check, with the fund’s name noted on the memo line, to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655, or by clicking here to give online.
For more information, contact Jason McCormick, executive director for development, at jason@olemiss.edu or 662-915-1757.
By Andy Belt/UM Foundation