Change Starts Here

A Night in the Valley, Trident Technical College Foundation's largest fundraising gala, typically takes place every January, welcoming 600 guests to enjoy a gourmet, full-service dining experience hosted by the Culinary Institute of Charleston . Every year, thousands of dollars are raised to support scholarships, student urgent needs and other crucial programs .  This year, however, the pandemic brought all in-person events to a screeching halt.  "Yet, the need is greater than ever," says Lisa Piccolo, TTC Foundation Executive Director, "It is especially hard right now for our students to reach their educational goals." After weighing many options, it was decided to take the event online. And thanks to the many sponsors and individual supporters of TTC, the event was a great success.   A Night in the Valley: Home Edition was held Friday evening, January 29, raising more than $160,000 from sponsorships, raffle sales and donations. Leading up to the event, chefs

The Truist Foundation has awarded the Trident Technical College Foundation a $1 million grant to support the college’s effort to create the Truist Transportation and Logistics Center on the college’s Berkeley Campus in Moncks Corner. The transportation center is a major component of the college’s multiphase plan to renovate the aging campus. With the Truist Foundation grant, college funds, $1 million provided by Berkeley County and a private donation of $100,000, the college will be able to move forward on the initial phase of the renovation project and offer commercial driver’s license training on the campus this fall. The college will continue to seek local, state and private funding to complete the full $32 million campus renovation to better serve the training needs of rapidly growing Berkeley County. “The Truist Transportation and Logistics Center will support the workforce needs of diverse employment sectors, including transportation and air freight providers, warehouse and dis

When respiratory therapist Karen Simmons transitioned from a clinical career to teaching, she never would have guessed that a respiratory virus would be responsible for a global pandemic just six months later.  “It felt weird not to be in the middle of it, but I realized that my impact would be much greater by teaching and advocating for the profession,” she says Simmons graduated from Trident Tech in 1997 and went on to treat patients for more than 20 years. Now, as the clinical coordinator for the Respiratory Therapy program at the College, she is hoping more students decide to go into the field.  "Respiratory therapists are in high-demand, playing a critical role in the fight against the Coronavirus," she says.  Respiratory therapists focus on the treatment, management, control, evaluation and care of patients who have trouble breathing. They typically care for patients with chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma or emphysema, as well as patients who suffer from hea