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Updated: March 6, 2025 @ 5:46 am
Pictured from the left at the Aiken Technical College Foundation Scholarship Breakfast on March 4 are foundation board chair Dara Glass, scholarship recipient Megyn Bolen, scholarship recipient Ashley Merchant, and foundation director Kym Johnson.
Pictured from the left are Joe Lewis, chair of The Aiken County Commission for Technical and Comprehensive Education, and Forest Mahan, president of Aiken Technical College, at the Aiken Technical College Foundation Scholarship Breakfast on March 4.
Reporter
Carl Dawson covers education for the Aiken Standard. An Aiken County resident since 1990, his work has appeared in the Charleston News & Courier, the Tampa Tribune, the Atlanta Constitution and the Augusta Chronicle. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of South Carolina.
Pictured from the left at the Aiken Technical College Foundation Scholarship Breakfast on March 4 are foundation board chair Dara Glass, scholarship recipient Megyn Bolen, scholarship recipient Ashley Merchant, and foundation director Kym Johnson.
Pictured from the left are Joe Lewis, chair of The Aiken County Commission for Technical and Comprehensive Education, and Forest Mahan, president of Aiken Technical College, at the Aiken Technical College Foundation Scholarship Breakfast on March 4.
Donors to the Aiken Technical College Foundation and recipients of its scholarships gathered March 4 at a breakfast honoring both and giving them the opportunity to meet one another.
Welding student Alice Brown, recipient of the foundation’s Bridgestone Industrial Maintenance Scholarship, sat at a table with Chris Hennessee, manager of Bridgestone Americas Aiken PSR plant.
Brown said her scholarship “has helped tremendously.”
“It’s helped with the cost of the equipment that I need. Helmet, gear, utensils. It’s helped with books,” she said. “And I have to constantly replace my gloves because they get holes in them from the slag or getting too close when I hold the TIG. I have to constantly replace my gloves.”
“It’s been a blessing,” Brown said.
ATC president Forest Mahan said the purpose of the breakfast was “to celebrate the power of education, the generosity of our donors and the incredible achievements of our scholarship recipients.”
“To our donors, we offer our deepest thanks. Your contributions make a profound difference not just in the lives of our students, but in shaping the future,” he said.
“To our scholarship recipients, we celebrate you today. Your hard work, dedication and perseverance have earned you this recognition, and we have no doubt that you will continue to make us proud,” Mahan said.
Dara Glass, chair of the Aiken Technical College Foundation board of trustees, said that in the past academic year the foundation awarded more than 200 scholarships totaling more than $175,000.
“We owe an immense debt of gratitude to our incredible donors, corporations, civic groups and individuals whose kindness and commitment pave the way for student success,” Glass said. “Your investment in education is shaping futures, building careers and strengthening our entire community,”
“If you’re present in this room today, it is because you believe in the power of education,” she said.
In her remarks to the assembled donors and students, nursing student Ashley Merchant, recipient of the foundation’s Aiken Performing Arts Scholarship, listed the items required for participation in nursing classes and clinicals: scrubs, white shoes, stethoscope, penlight, scissors, laptop computer and printer.
“And so many books. So many books,” she said.
“These are all expenses that fall outside of what financial aid covers for tuition. Also, the rigorous nature of the program limits the time that nursing students can work,” Merchant said. “Your generous donations have covered these expenses for me. Your donations have allowed me to focus on my education, not the cost.”
Kym Johnson, director of the Aiken Technical College Foundation, said scholarship contributions are “investments in the dreams of our students.”
“Your perseverance and dedication remind us all why we invest in education,” she told the students, “because knowledge has the power to transform lives, open doors, and create new possibilities.”
“One scholarship can change a life. One life can change a community, and together we can create lasting impact,” Johnson said.
Reporter
Carl Dawson covers education for the Aiken Standard. An Aiken County resident since 1990, his work has appeared in the Charleston News & Courier, the Tampa Tribune, the Atlanta Constitution and the Augusta Chronicle. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of South Carolina.
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