Featured Story

Faculty and staff raise $64,000 for scholarships

Thursday, Dec 6, 2012
Meghan Yost

Blue & Gold Circle Team Leaders at the Blue & Gold kick-off luncheon.

‘Tis the season of giving, and this year, Seminole State faculty and staff members have been especially generous. The Foundation for Seminole State College’s annual employee giving campaign, which ran through the month of October, has raised nearly $64,000 for student scholarships and College programs.

So far, 41 percent of faculty and staff have joined the Blue & Gold Circle, the annual donor club created for Seminole State employees to give back to the College. Nearly 350 employees made gifts, with adjunct faculty contributing additional donations.

To date, the 2012 Blue & Gold Circle campaign, titled Extending Our Reach, has surpassed last year’s record. Last year, the Foundation raised $55,000.

“Once again, volunteer team leaders played a vital role in the success of this year’s campaign,” says Elizabeth Bhimjee, director of development for the Foundation. “Their dedication to spreading the message that every gift counts was what truly inspired the level of giving we’ve seen.”

Bhimjee says it’s not too late for employees to get involved. The Foundation’s goal is to beat last year’s final participation rate of 47 percent, aiming to get at least half of faculty and staff to participate.

By joining the campaign, donors help create a supportive academic community that allows students to explore their interests and reach their potential. Just $5 a month provides a student with a book for one class; $42 a month is enough for a student to go to school for one semester; and $84 a month can provide a scholarship for an entire year.

The success of this year’s campaign is due, in large part, to the hard work and dedication of the Blue & Gold Volunteer Team:

• Angela Adame-Smith
• Arin Baynard
• Beverly Smith
• Charity Lo Giudice
• Daniel Liguori
• Debbie Socci
• Debra DiGioia
• Dorothy Lange
• Elyse Jacobs
• Greg Long
• Isabel Cottrell
• Jordan Camenker
• Karen Feldman
• Ken Pawlowski
• Kim Maznicki
• Laura Carlin
• Liz Lawson
• Lori Wolff
• Lucia Dzikowski
• Mark Davis
• Mercedes Bermejo
• Nana Robertson
• Sam Gaustad
• Shawn Darby
• Terri Walsh (Campaign Chair)
• Tommy Minton
• Yolanda Williams

Last year, the Foundation generated more than $5 million in cash gifts and pledges, awarded more than 1,300 student scholarships and 31 faculty and staff mini grants. For more information, visit the Foundation’s website.