On May 7, 2009, Buddy Rawley and I were completing the eighth presentation to civic organizations about the Alumni Association, its programs at this point in its development, its homecoming and the Foundation’s awarding of scholarships at graduation. It was a 7:30 a.m. breakfast with the Riverview Rotary Club with approximately 45 in attendance. At the end of presentations, we always take questions.
John Gilstrap, former Danville Parks and Recreation director, raised his hand and circled back to Rawley’s comments about scholarships. He asked if there were an alumni scholarship. I replied that we have the Scholarship and Recognition Committee that will seek to move such an item forward. I also explained that an alumni scholarship initiative could be as much as a year away, but that it is a definite goal of the Alumni Association to establish an endowed scholarship. We moved on to other questions.
Approximately a week later, Rawley received a phone call from a DCC alumni, Ben Rippe, who told him that he had been thinking about the alumni scholarship question and was interested in getting the scholarship initiative off the ground and moving forward with a seed gift of $1,000.
Rippe explained that his inspiration came much earlier than the Rotary breakfast. “Years ago I was at a VPI-DCC Alumni luncheon and noticed that right around me were seven to nine individuals who all went to VPI and DCC. Everyone said what a good education they received, what a remarkable institution to have in the community. It occurred to me that I felt the same way—that I got a really good education there. Today, that availability of educational opportunity is even more needed than when I was on campus. Any way we, as alumni, can assure such opportunity is very important. There are literally thousands of alumni who benefited from the instruction at DCC or the other two institutions. It’s time we seek them and create an avenue allowing them to give back to students in some small way. I think many will want to do so.”
Rippe’s stipulations are that the $1,000 be held for no more than two years; and during those two years, we make alumni aware that with $15,000 to $20,000, we can endow a $1,000 scholarship every year for a deserving student. Because there are over 68,000 alumni, the dream is to have two endowed scholarships from alumni.
Facts speak for themselves concerning student need in the service region stretching from Gretna in the Northern end of Pittsylvania County to beyond Halifax and South Boston in Halifax County, Virginia. The DCC Educational Foundation awarded over $130,000 in scholarships during the 2008-09 academic year. Rawley commented, “We receive numerous thank you letters from scholarship recipients. One such letter read, ‘As you can see, your scholarship will help me attain my educational goals in the near future.’ Another scholarship recipient said, ‘My hope is that one day I am able to pass on, through giving, a gift as generous as you have given me.’”
In a year in which gas prices escalated and many families were hit hard by layoffs throughout the region, contributions from individuals and families over the years that created the scholarships have kept students on track toward graduation and career and higher education opportunities. Numbers tell an even greater story of student desire to stay in school. Over 3,000 students applied for grants, loans and scholarships. In any class a professor asks, “How many of you hold part-time jobs and are taking full class loads,” over half the students raise their hands. When the professor asks, “How many of you hold full-time jobs and are taking classes, hands are raised again.” I often ask these questions in my English classes and then lead discussions on how to be successful college students under very stressful, time-constrained conditions.
Looking back on your years at DTI, VPI-Danville or DCC, did you once raise your hand to such a question? Did you once receive student aid of some form? Did you have exceptional teachers who stand out in your mind; did you engage in educational activities that matured you that you would wish other students could experience? If those memories spark a desire to help endow the alumni scholarship, no matter how small or large the amount, mail a contribution marked “Alumni Scholarship contribution” to the DCC Educational Foundation, Danville Community College, 1008 South Main Street, Danville, Virginia, 24541, or if you have questions, call Styphenia Reliford in the DCC Foundation office at 434-797-8437 or contact by e-mail at alumni@dcc.vccs.edu.
If you wish to contribute in honor of someone who made your years at DCC, DTI or VPI-Danville more successful, please indicate that desire, which will be an auxiliary part of the final process when the endowment initiative is completed.
Marie Harris
Alumni Relations Coordinator
From The Link, the DCC alumni board newsletter, July 2009.