The 2022 Champions for Student Success Event, to be presented Nov. 1 by the Greenville Tech Foundation, will recognize Bank of America for its support of Greenville Technical College.
Formerly known as the Workforce Development Salute, the event is a chance to celebrate the financial support the school has received from the community’s businesses, partners and individuals.
This year, Greenville Tech Foundation will honor Bank of America for its support throughout two decades with donations totaling more than $329,000.
Stacy Brandon, president of Bank of America Upstate South Carolina, calls Greenville Technical College a “silent giant” within the community.
“I think what was really eye-opening to me when I joined the board is the grants and engagement that Greenville Tech has in our community that nobody really knows about,” says Brandon, who has also served on the board of the Greenville Tech Foundation since 2016.
One example of this, Brandon points out, is the Emergency Student Needs Fund, which provided help for students who are facing financial stressors, such as medical bills, utilities or bus passes, that might otherwise force students to drop out.
Quick Jobs with a Future
Another program Bank of America supports is Greenville Tech’s “Quick Jobs with a Future,” initiative, which is designed to allow working adults to quickly obtain skills that match the needs of local businesses or industries.
“We’ve focused on helping students have unique, meaningful opportunities that prepare them to succeed and join the regional workforce when they graduate from Greenville Tech,” Brandon says.
Quick Jobs with a Future offers:
- More than 40 programs
- Smaller classes with hands-on experiences
- Classes held at convenient times and locations
- Quick connections
- Subjects ranging from the medical field to manufacturing or real estate
Bank of America also invested $138,000 in Greenville Tech’s African American Male Scholars Initiative. Established in 2019, the program addresses retention and graduation rates among Black men enrolled in Greenville Tech. The college saw an increase in academic performance and retention among the demographic that has continued since.
Services provided for African American Male Scholars Initiative participants include:
- Academic advising
- Tutoring
- Mentoring
- Mental-health counseling
- FASFA assistance
- Financial literacy education
“They’re looking at the student population, what they need and then they look at the employers in our community and they say what is needed to enhance the business community,” Brandon says.
