Walking across the same stage on which they’ll one day receive their college degrees, seventh graders from Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties were inducted into the New Century Scholars program on Thursday, Nov. 7, in Myers Auditorium on Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus.
Made possible entirely by the generosity of private donors, the New Century Scholars program guarantees support and last-dollar tuition assistance to a total of 30 inductees this year (10 from each county).
Special guest speaker for this year’s ceremony was Benjamin Rodriguez, a former New Century Scholar who went on to earn an associate degree from SCC, a bachelor’s from Western Carolina University and a master’s from Cameron University. He is now a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Franklin.
Established in 1995 by the late Dr. Charles McConnell, who was superintendent of Jackson County Schools, and then-SCC President Dr. Barry Russell, New Century Scholars is designed to improve academic readiness, bolster student persistence toward high school graduation and increase the college attendance rate.
More than 2,500 students have been inducted into the program over the years.
For more information about the program and how to support it, visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu/new-century-scholars.
