 |
| Travis Ashe (right), area manager for Pepsi-Cola of Whittier, presents a $1,000 check to Dr. Don Tomas, president of SCC. The money will go to the SCC Foundation’s Student Emergency Fund. |
Up until 15 years ago, Pepsi-Cola of Whittier used to throw a holiday party for all its employees.
After Sept. 11, 2001, the employees decided they would rather donate the funding set aside for the party to a local charity. They’ve passed on the celebration every year since, and they gave $1,000 of the amount saved this year to the Southwestern Community College Foundation’s Student Emergency Fund.
“Our employees just decided there were better ways this money could be spent,” said Ronnie Bowers, sales manager for Pepsi-Cola of Whittier. “We’ve heard some of the stories about how SCC’s Student Emergency Fund has helped students continue their education, and we wanted to be a part of that.”
Established in 2014, the Student Emergency Fund helps deserving students who encounter unexpected financial emergencies so that they can remain at SCC and continue working toward their degrees, diplomas and/or certificates.
“Many of our students are trying to improve their situation in life, and it’s not easy,” said Dr. Don Tomas. “If their car battery fails or they have a tire blowout, they don’t have a budget in place for repairs. We don’t want these kinds of setbacks to keep students from completing their educational goals and becoming part of the workforce."
“That’s why this Student Emergency Fund is critical,” Dr. Tomas added. “Pepsi has been a longtime and consistent supporter of SCC and our students, and I am grateful to Travis and Pepsi for donating to this particular fund this year.”
Southwestern, which has been ranked among the Top 10 community colleges in the nation three times in the past decade, serves Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary.
For more information about SCC and the other programs it offers, visit www.southwesterncc.edu or call 828.339.4000.
