For Immediate Release
Contact: Kim Schmelz, Foundation Director
Phone: 608.822.2379
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: April 28, 2016
Southwest Tech Community Scholarship Program Established
Fennimore, Wisconsin 4/28/2016 -The Southwest Tech Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Southwest Tech Community Scholarship Program to better serve the growing financial needs of their student population.
The premise behind the program is a simple one: Alumni and friends from district communities with ties to Southwest Tech can contribute to a scholarship to support Southwest Tech students from their community.
The program originates in the 30 school communities that Southwest Tech serves with an individual scholarship created for each community:
Argyle, Barneveld, Belmont, Benton, Black Hawk, Boscobel, Cassville, Cuba City, Darlington, Dodgeville, Fennimore, Highland, Iowa-Grant, Ithaca, Kickapoo, Lancaster, Mineral Point, North Crawford, Pecatonica, Platteville, Potosi, Prairie du Chien, Richland Center, River Ridge, Riverdale, Seneca, Shullsburg, Southwestern, Wauzeka-Steuben and Weston
The goal of the Southwest Tech Community Scholarship Program is to offer scholarships to students from each of the 30 district communities. Students do not need to be enrolling at Southwest Tech directly after high school to be eligible for these scholarships. Already this spring, the Southwest Tech Foundation student phonathon has reached out to alumni and friends for support of their community’s scholarship. The goal is to award the first scholarships from the program in the fall.
“We look forward to working with our philanthropic supporters to make this new scholarship program a success. One of the Foundation’s priorities is to increase scholarship support available to our students, and this program will be a key factor,” stated Southwest Tech Foundation executive director Holly Clendenen.
The Southwest Tech Community Scholarship Program is designed to create and enhance pathways for students to attend, succeed and graduate from Southwest Tech. This program enhances the strengths of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, which has been serving the region for nearly five decades, starting in 1967.
Southwest Tech President Dr. Jason Wood believes the new scholarship program will make a difference for local students considering their educational options. “The Southwest Tech Community Scholarship Program will pool together donations from alumni, friends and businesses across the district to encourage students to choose Southwest Tech. This will help fulfill the College’s vision of changing lives by providing opportunities for success,” said Wood.
The Southwest Tech Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting learning through funding and activities that enables Southwest Tech to provide opportunities for success. The Southwest Tech Foundation welcomes contributions year round to help financially support students, programs and staff at the College. All contributions are tax-deductible to the limits of the law. For more information on how you can give a gift please contact Clendenen at 608-822-2362 or visit www.swtc.edu/foundation/.