Skip to main content

Foundation Brings Donors and Students Together at Scholarship Luncheon

On March 26, the TTC Foundation hosted the 14th annual Scholarship Luncheon honoring over 220 scholarship donors and recipients and other major donors throughout the college and the community.

The program featured a panel discussion that highlighted the difficulties of being raised in a single family household and also being a single parent while obtaining a college education. The panel featured donors Dr. Rew “Skip” Godow Jr. and Elizabeth “Skeet” Godow (The Godow Opportunity Fund for Single Parents), and four scholarship recipients: Talisa Pinckney, Jake Sauppe, Josie Sauppe, and James Usher.

“I was raised by a single parent. I am currently a single parent of three and take care of my mother, as well,” said Talisa Pinckney, Charleston Bed & Breakfast Association Scholarship and TTC Foundation Scholarship recipient. “I decided one day that I was so tired of working in jobs that did not interest me or make me happy, and I wanted to improve my family life and show my children that through any adversity education is the key to improving life circumstances. I will be the first member of my family to graduate from college. In my family, that is a milestone and a very special moment.”

The foundation made 321 scholarship awards this year totaling $300,052 –  a 50% increase over last year. As the scholarship program continues to grow, the foundation is looking forward to being able to award more scholarships and help more students reach their goals and dreams. 

To see more photos from the event, take a look at the photo album on the Alumni and Friends Facebook page.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New Laptop is a Game-Changer

When life throws you one challenge after another, you start to appreciate the small wins.  For Trident Tech student Kristi Salvo, receiving a new laptop through the Student Urgent Needs (SUN) fund was a game-changer.  Like students across the country, Salvo’s in-person classes were abruptly switched to an online format this spring due to COVID-19. But she knew her older computer couldn’t keep up with the online demands and she couldn't afford to buy a new one. “I was already dealing with a lot and it felt like this was going to be the thing that would break me,” she said. Salvo, a veteran of the US Air Force, struggles with health issues, including a back injury and a severe autoimmune disorder. In March, she and her husband separated, leaving her to juggle the responsibility of being a student, while also being a teacher to their two young children. All this, while trying to stay healthy and safe during a global pandemic. After Salvo and her children moved into a smaller, more aff

Loss of Former TTC Film Student Inspires Events

Sarah Jones, a 27-year old camera assistant, was tragically killed last February by a freight train while filming a movie in southeast Georgia.  Since then, many friends and colleagues of Jones, a former TTC student, have spoken out about the safety issues surrounding the film industry.  Film Veteran Presented Workshop in Honor of Sarah Jones Douglas C. Hart, a respected camera technician in the film industry, agrees that safety on film sets must be improved.   Hart presented a a free public workshop at Trident Tech last month. He literally wrote the book on working as a camera assistant. His textbook, “The Camera Assistant: A Complete Professional Handbook,” is used by film students at Trident Tech and at other colleges around the country. In a meeting with TTC film students and in the workshop, Hart focused on safety as well as many other aspects of working in the industry, including camera mechanics, on-set procedures, lenses and filters, and screen tests. To

The Path to Success

As the 11th of 14 children, Kathy Simmons knows what it’s like to be a part of a close-knit family. Which is exactly why she has made her way back to Trident Technical College 33 years after graduating in 1985. Kathy’s path back to TTC began with her desire to fulfill two goals – advance her education and travel – and she figured the best way to accomplish both was through the military. So Kathy joined the Air Force in 1987, and did indeed accomplish both goals. She received her Bachelor of Arts while stationed in Minot, North Dakota, her Master of Arts from Erskine Theological Seminary and she has completed 60 hours toward a Doctor of Education from Walden University. She saw much of the country and spent time overseas in Korea. After the military, Kathy found herself back at TTC in the Admissions and Registrar’s office, and it was there she realized she really wanted to stay in education and help students find success. But a wise mentor once told her that in order to advance