Change Starts Here

When Carolyn Hunter graduated from a Virginia community college in 1977 and began working on a McDonald’s grill, she could not have imagined that she would someday own 3 McDonalds locations. Now, as a member of the TTC Foundation Board of Trustees and donor of the college’s first $1 Million pledge, she keeps finding new ways to support the college. Her latest philanthropic venture, Sissy’s Closet, is one of them. “Where upscale meets resale,” Sissy’s Closet is a retail store in Goose Creek that sells new and gently used ladies clothing and accessories.  The shop is named for Rachel Thompson, Carolyn’s late mother, who was affectionately known as Sissy and instilled in Carolyn a sense of determination and perseverance.   All proceeds from Sissy’s Closet benefit Trident Technical College Foundation , Ronald McDonald House of Charleston , and Teacher’s Supply Closet . Their mission is to raise money for these charities, but also provide opportunities for volunteerism and...

The Charleston area is expected to add 25,000 new jobs during the next five years, nearly seven times the growth of the previous five years, and Trident Technical College is leading the charge to meet workforce demand. The Charleston Metro Chamber, along with several other local community and higher education organizations, commissioned and participated in a study to compare the higher education offerings in our region against the needs of our employers. National consultants from Avalanche Consulting and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) worked to identify the region’s higher education gaps. The report focused on training programs that align with job sectors identified by the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Charleston Regional Development Alliance as experiencing rapid growth: Advanced Security and IT, Aerospace/Aviation, Biomedical/Healthcare and Energy Systems. It is not surprising that TTC is leading the way among local higher educ...