A Life of Service
Joe Daning has dedicated his career to public service, starting in the Air Force in 1960 and most recently serving for 14 years as a member of the S.C. House of Representatives. In between, he worked at the Charleston Naval Shipyard for 29 years and Trident Technical College for 26 years as a recruiter.
Though he is now retired, Daning would like to pay it forward and make an impact on students. During his time at TTC, he saw the great need so many students have and wanted to create another avenue of support. This year, the timing was right for him and his wife, Brenda, to start the Daning Family Endowed Scholarship.
Daning is a proud TTC graduate himself. He first attended the college in 1972 on the GI Bill® for mechanical engineering, and he later graduated with an associate degree in business management.
It’s no surprise that nearly everyone in Daning’s family has some connection to the college. His wife Brenda and his two sons attended TTC before transferring to four-year colleges. He has a daughter-in- law and a granddaughter who both graduated from the Medical Assisting program. His other daughter-in-law was an instructor, and another granddaughter took dual credit courses at TTC while in high school.
He says, “TTC has been good to us, and our hope is that our endowed fund will make that critical difference for students and their families for years to come.”
Like many TTC graduates, Daning went on to further his education. He received his Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University in 1993 and received a master’s degree from Webster University in 1995. He started working as a recruiter for the college in 1993 and later became Director of Enrollment.
Daning is one of the many TTC staff and faculty members who have witnessed student struggles in their careers and are compelled to ease their financial burden. On average, 80% of TTC employees give back to the college through TTC Foundation’s annual campaign, raising a total of $1.7 million since 1980.
This longtime culture of giving from TTC employees demonstrates their passion for education and the degree to which they will go above and beyond the call of duty, empowering students to reach their goals and inspiring them to give back.
Daning always knew he wanted to make a positive impact on the world, and as he reflects on his career and life, he’s grateful that he had the opportunity to do so.
“TTC students work extraordinarily hard to make generational changes within their own families,” he said. “In my life, I have had opportunities that many of our students never get, and we wanted to provide that for others.”
As an endowed fund, the Daning Family Scholarship will continue to assist TTC students for many years to come, leaving a legacy that will touch hundreds of other families and the entire community.
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GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://benefits.va.gov/gibill.
