Employees Impact Scholarships
Last year, TTC employees came together around the college’s Wildly Important Goal (WIG) to improve student retention. Each department identified its own sub-Wildly Important Goal (SWIG) to do its part, making a real and measurable impact on this effort.
For the Development Department, the path was clear. Research shows that students who receive scholarships are 10% more likely to succeed, and the department set a goal to increase the number of scholarships awarded by 10%. But to do that, they first needed to grow the scholarship fund—and they turned to TTC employees for help.
During the Employee Giving Campaign, TTC employees responded with generosity and purpose, raising more than $38,000 for TTC Foundation Scholarships.
The impact was immediate and powerful:
- 545 students received scholarships, a 15% increase from the previous year.
- A total of $512,766 was awarded, a 10% increase from the previous year.
Keith Rumrill, Director of Development, is thrilled to see this result for students.
“Employee support for the general scholarship fund helped the foundation surpass the half million-dollar mark in total scholarship support for the first time since the scholarship program was established in 1980,” he said.
Beyond scholarships, employee giving also supported:
- The Student Urgent Needs fund, which provided assitance to 13 students at risk of dropping out
- The “Pay it Forward” fund, which assisted 11 students in paying off tuition balances to stay enrolled
- Employee Tuition Assistance and Credit Course Reimbursement programs, which helped 32 employees finance their continued education
As TTC employees, we witness the impact of these efforts every day - through our students, and oftentimes, through our colleagues.
In 2015, Joyce Antonetty was a student in the Fitness Specialist program and a single parent of two children when she received the Persevere Scholarship, a fund created by Claus Busch and Elizabeth Colbert-Busch to assist single parents pursuing their education.
Joyce spoke on the scholarship recipient panel that year at the annual luncheon, sharing how scholarship donors helped her overcome significant obstacles.
“By acknowledging single parents and the struggle that we endure, you have not only emphasized the value of continued education, but also provided an example to my children through your generosity.”
Today, Joyce serves as TTC’s Wellness Director and reflects on the lasting impact of that support:
“It meant a lot to receive the funding, but it also inspired me to be successful,” she said. “Knowing that it’s coming from private donors who are passionate about helping TTC students motivated me to work even harder to reach my goals.”
Joyce’s story is just one of thousands. And thanks to your support, TTC students are not only staying in school – they’re thriving. Every scholarship awarded, every urgent need met and every act of generosity brings us closer to achieving our Wildly Important Goal: helping students persist, succeed and graduate.