-Scholarship Fund Nears $95,000-
Thanks to generous donations by the Rotary Club of Marion and friends of Rotary, scholarship giving to the McDowell Technical Community College Foundation got a big shot in the arm last week just as the college began welcoming students back to campus for the 2024 academic year. In recognition of their gifts, the college welcomed Rotarians and other friends to campus last Thursday to dedicate a multipurpose training room in the Dogwood Building in their honor.
“The forward-thinking commitment of the Rotary Club of Marion to assist both current and future generations of McDowell residents with completing their higher education goals, plus strengthening the knowledge and skill capacity of the local workforce truly demonstrates Rotary’s strong focus on service and community,” said Dr. J.W. Kelley, MTCC President. “We are grateful for their gifts and look forward to partnering with them in service to our students for generations to come.”
According to Richard Berlick, who chairs the Marion Rotary Club Foundation, creation of the group’s endowed scholarship at McDowell Tech was the brain-child of recent Rotary Club President Chip Cross, who is also an instructor at the college. Cross, Berlick and fellow Rotarians Sharon Parker and Walt Bagwell met with college administrators earlier this year to outline plans for an endowed scholarship that would exist in perpetuity with a portion of annual earnings being allocated each year to student scholarships.
Rotary’s initial gift of $20,000 to the MTCC Foundation established the Rotary Club of Marion Foundation Scholarship, but that amount began to grow almost immediately. On the recommendation of Chip Cross, Gary Franklin of Snyder Paper Company asked that Snyder’s recent donation of $15,000 to the Foundation be transferred into the new Rotary scholarship. Both gifts were then matched with proceeds from a U.S. Department of Education grant, bringing the total endowment to $70,000.
During the room dedication last week, Rotarians surprised the college with additional funds for the new scholarship. Berlick presented Dr. Kelley with a check for $12,500 from funds contributed by the late Julian Austin, a lifelong Rotarian, and Dave Watson, also a local Rotarian. Watson was present at the dedication.
Once the new funds have been matched, the total endowment for the scholarship will stand at $95,000. The goal that the Rotary Club hopes to eventually achieve is $100,000.
“There was an obvious feeling of pride and excitement as Mr. Berlick and other Rotarians joined us for last week’s room dedication,” said Dr. Kelley. “But the really exciting thing is that donations from these Rotarians and Snyder Paper Company have already allowed the college to award three students with scholarships to attend college this fall. The long-term impact of their gifts to our students and our community cannot be understated. Thank you, Rotarians!”
To partner in the “Learning for Life” mission of MTCC, visit https://mcdowelltech.edu/foundation-mtcc/ For more information on financial aid at McDowell Tech, visit www.mcdowelltech.edu/financialaid/ .
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