Getting Involved and Giving Back with the Shurlings

Connection is crucial to Stephanie (BSFCS ’94) and Fielder Shurling. 

The Atlanta residents believe the best kind of service lies in meeting people where they are and putting in the footwork to be present for the community. 

Though Fielder, principal of investments for Regent Partners in Atlanta, did not attend the University of Georgia, he was dutifully adopted into Stephanie’s family full of Bulldogs. Stephanie, who owns Weaver Shurling Interiors, is part of a legacy of UGA alumni spanning three generations, including the couple’s two children, Hunt ’26 and Calder ’29. 

In the fall months as the Shurling’s son, Hunt, began his freshman year at UGA in 2022, a friend informed and encouraged the pair to join a group focused on getting involved and giving back at UGA, the Parents Leadership Council (PLC). The PLC is a highly engaged group of parents who are eager to participate on campus and make a direct impact on undergraduate student life. As the newly named PLC co-chairs for 2026, Stephanie and Fielder will serve as leaders for the philanthropic group. 

Involvement is not a new conviction for the Shurlings. During the Shurling children’s time at the Lovett School in Atlanta, Fielder and Stephanie led parents’ groups like the New Parents Campaign in 2015-2016, various True Blue campaigns and supported the One Lovett Campaign, an effort to transform the school’s campus, champion faculty, and strengthen support for students. 

“Doing those things with the Lovett School really prepared us for co-chairing in the PLC. We saw firsthand the value in putting ourselves out there and encouraging others to get involved,” said Stephanie. 

Though PLC already promotes connection, co-chairing has given Stephanie and Fielder the opportunity to engage with other parents and students they would not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet.    

“One of the things we’ve loved the most around this role is how many new people we have met. Usually, you might just meet the parents and families around the activities your children are involved in, like Greek life,” Fielder said, “but in PLC, we’ve been able to meet parents and students from all over the university and learn their stories.” 

Along with engagement, the PLC also introduced the Shurlings to many different initiatives across campus, like the new UGA School of Medicine, and has given them to opportunity to support UGA initiatives and programming like the Parents Fund, which assists safe-campus initiatives, academic tutoring, career planning, scholarships and leadership experiences. Through this fund, Stephanie and Fielder have recognized student needs surrounding food and medical care. One area that the Shurlings are passionate about is the Sunshine Fund, initiated by the PLC in 2020, which assists UGA students in paying for mental health services.  

“I am so in awe of the work they do at [UGA Student Care and Outreach]. College can be such a difficult time, and we are so glad to support the Sunshine Fund,” said Stephanie. 

Above all, the Shurlings’ favorite thing about being involved with the PLC is setting an example for their children. As Hunt and Calder continue their Bulldog journeys, Stephanie and Fielder seek to instill a sense of service as they prepare for post-graduate life. 

“As we see it, the best way to help others and serve your community is to be present and involved,” Fielder said. “We want our children to see how much of an impact you can make when you work as part of a group that cares.”  

Want to know how you can get involved? Consider being a part of parent philanthropy at UGA by joining the Parents Leadership Council or learning about ways your family can make an impact by contacting parents@uga.edu.