Supporters provide $257,000 for Wallace State Future Foundation, student scholarships

 id="attachment_18420" align="alignright" width="300" Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics, center, accepts donations to the Wallace State Future Foundation from Sen. Garlan Gudger, left, and Rep. Randall Shedd, totaling more than $11,000.HANCEVILLE, Ala. — Wallace State Community College’s Future Foundation raised $257,000 during its annual Student Investment Luncheon and Auction. The theme for the 2021 event was Together Again! as this is the first time the event could be held in its traditional format due to COVID-19. The 2020 event was held as a drive-through at the Traditions Bank Operations Center with an online auction.This year, more than 400 supporters were able to gather in Traditions Bank Arena at Tom Drake Coliseum to enjoy a meal catered by the Wallace State Culinary Arts program, participate in live and silent auctions, and fellowship with scholarship recipients and other Future Foundation devotees.

“Together Again! speaks to our excitement to hold an in-person event and to welcome back to campus all of our generous sponsors and donors,” said WSCC President Dr. Vicki Karolewics. “We have truly missed seeing and interacting with our donors and our scholarship recipients over the last 18 months.  We appreciate your commitment to being a part of this event and look forward to sharing a great event with all of you.”

Future Foundation Board President Bill St. John lauded the Future Foundation Board for doing great work not only for Wallace State students but for the business community.

“We are all a part of that community in some way and more often than not, that means we have a team to help us do what we do,” said St. John, of local engineering firm St. John and Associates. “Our teams are made up of individuals that are each critical to our success. But how do you hire good people for your team? That seems to be a popular topic these days.”

St. John said they look for people who care about the work they do and will give 100 percent to their jobs, and for those with the talent, skills and training needed for their position.

“So where do you find these people?” he asked. “I can tell you that 80 percent of our team came through these very doors. I honestly don’t think we could’ve done what we do in my business for the last 30 years without the pipeline of talent from Wallace State, and I can’t think of a business in Cullman that hasn’t benefited from that resource.

“We all know super-smart, talented, driven people who with a little more knowledge and a few more breaks could have gone as far as anyone,” St. John added. “That’s where the Future Foundation board comes in. We are about spreading opportunities and those opportunities are powered by each of you. Thanks to your generous support over the last decade, the Foundation has awarded over $1.6 million in scholarships to over 2,000 deserving students. Many of those people are the talent that move Cullman forward.”

Around $10,000 of the amount raised at the event came from donations that were matched dollar for dollar by a Title III grant. Another $11,150 came from grant funds provided by Sen. Garlan Gudger, Jr., and Rep. Randall Shedd.

The event historically provides more than $200,000 annually for Wallace State student scholarships. For the 2021-2022 academic year, the Foundation was able to award 212 students more than $347,000 in scholarship funds.

The Future Foundation will take applications for the 2022-2023 academic year January 10 through March 11, 2022. The online application and a list of scholarships can be viewed at www.wsccfuturefoundation.org/scholarships.

Registration for Spring 2022 is underway, with classes starting on January 10, 2022. Day, evening and weekend classes are offered on campus, as well as hybrid and online options. Visit www.wallacestate.edu or call 256.352.8000 for more information.

 id="attachment_18418" align="alignleft" width="640" Supporters of Wallace State Community College look over silent auction items during the annual Student Investment Luncheon and Auction. More than $250,000 was raised to support scholarships for Wallace State students.