A group of students from Vance-Granville Community College recently received scholarships through the Golden LEAF Scholarship program for the North Carolina Community College System. The scholarship program, designed to help North Carolinians attend the state’s community colleges, is funded through a $750,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation.
The scholarship can be used to assist with tuition, books, fees, supplies, transportation and childcare expenses related to attending classes during the 2015-16 academic year, and industry-recognized credential testing expenses that address skill gaps upon course completion. Eligible students must demonstrate financial need and reside in rural counties that are tobacco-dependent and/or economically distressed. Scholarships for both occupational and curriculum students are available during the fall, spring and summer semesters.
The VGCC students who were awarded Golden LEAF scholarships for the fall 2015 term (with their respective programs of study) include:
- Tiffany Barnes of Henderson (Office Administration);
- Sonia Bishop of Stem (Computer Technology Integration – Networking & Security);
- Tanita Canty of Kittrell (Early Childhood Education);
- Franceine Cole of Norlina (Early Childhood Education);
- Teresa Eakes of Oxford (Criminal Justice);
- Ana-Alecia Espino of Kittrell (Associate Degree Nursing);
- Stacey Grissom of Henderson (Culinary Arts);
- Tracy Holland of Henderson (Business Administration);
- Lamont Osgood of Oxford (Associate in General Education – General Science);
- Samantha Patrick of Henderson (Associate Degree Nursing);
- Aleria Perry of Henderson (Associate in Arts);
- Adam Rooker of Norlina (Criminal Justice);
- Iesha Solomon of Spring Hope (Business Administration);
- Angelique Taylor of Macon (Human Services Technology/Substance Abuse);
- Allyssabeth Trowbridge of Oxford (Criminal Justice);
- Tiffany Williams of Henderson (Culinary Arts); and
- Daniel Woody of Stovall (Associate in Science).
“The Golden LEAF Foundation is proud to have awarded over 9,600 Golden LEAF Scholarships to help North Carolinians attend our state’s community colleges,” said Dan Gerlach, Golden LEAF president. “Our hope is that these scholarships will help build the talent, knowledge and skills of our current and future workforce, which are in demand by industry, especially in the rural areas of our state.”
The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina’s economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina’s funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,346 grants totaling more than $591 million since its inception. For more information about the foundation, visit www.goldenleaf.org or call (888) 684-8404.
Students interested in applying for a Golden LEAF Scholarship should contact the VGCC Financial Aid Office at (252) 738-3280.