HUDSON, NC (December 8, 2020) — The Foundation of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute has announced the establishment of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Fund by the Bernhardt Family. The fund, created in June 2020, awards two $2,000 scholarships to African-American students with demonstrated financial need. The students must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and demonstrate campus or community involvement. In addition to the funds, mentors to help guide and support the recipients are also provided.
“CCC&TI is honored with the establishment of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship endowment, which will help provide even more opportunity for our African American students,” said Dr. Mark Poarch, President of CCC&TI. “This population now represents approximately 4.5 percent of our student body.”
“We are pleased to be able to provide assistance to those who have demonstrated academic achievement and engagement within the college or community,” Poarch added. “This endowment is very timely and one more step toward our ongoing commitment to the institution’s core values, which reflect diversity and inclusion in education.”
The first two recipients of these awards were named in Fall 2020. They are Darien Farley of Denver, N.C. and Quiariana Miller of Lenoir, N.C.
Farley is a CCC&TI baseball player who transferred to CCC&TI from Erskine College in SC and currently holds a 3.4 GPA. He is enrolled in the Associate in Arts program and plans to transfer to a university to pursue a career in sports management.
Farley expressed his appreciation for the award in a letter to the Foundation Board. “With a grateful heart, I am truly appreciative to have been selected as a recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship,” he said. “I am confident my commitment to being a well-rounded student will improve my future by teaching me discipline and time management skills to enhance my leadership abilities. Thank you for your generosity in assisting student like myself through this scholarship.”
Quiariana “KeyKey” Miller was also awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship. Miller is a 2018 graduate of Alexander Central High School who is working toward an Associate in Arts degree at CCC&TI. She is a member of CCC&TI’s women’s basketball team. Miller hopes to earn a four-year degree in social work so that she can help guide others in the right direction. As a first-generation college student, Miller hopes that her success as a student will set a good example for her younger siblings.
“While being here (at CCC&TI), I’ve accomplished so many things, made the dean’s lists, All Region X selection, All Academic Region team, bought my own car and have a roof over my head,” said Miller. “This scholarship has allowed me to put money toward my education and other important necessities. It is allowing me to make my dreams and goals a reality.”
For more information on the Foundation of CCC&TI or to apply for a scholarship, visit www.cccti.edu or call 828-726-2260.