Col. William Curtis Hise has left a lasting legacy at Southern Illinois College (SIC).
Hise had donated $3 million in honor of his sister to create the Ella Elizabeth Hise Museum of Regional Art and provide for an operational endowment. It was the largest private donation SIC had received.
Pleased with the museum, which opened in 2019, Hise also chose to pledge his entire estate along with some artwork to the college, valued at upwards of $7 million, resulting in a total $10 million from him.
Hise died in 2021 at age 94. The college held a memorial reception this month to honor his life.
“Col. Hise was a remarkable man – a true visionary who believed in the mission of SIC,” said President Jonah Rice.
The gift couldn’t have come at a better time for the college, noted SIC Foundation Chair Brian Surprenant.
“With state funding shrinking and our population in southern Illinois declining, these private funds from the colonel will leave a legacy that will help SIC and students for decades to come,” he said.
* * *
Elgin Community College (ECC) has received $695,000 from the state of Illinois for the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce (PATH) Program, which expands opportunities for individuals to obtain credentials and degrees in select healthcare fields while also providing current healthcare systems the ability to upskill or reskill their workforce.
PATH provides extra wraparound support like tuition assistance and help with textbooks and childcare for qualified students pursuing credentials for healthcare careers.
“The goal of PATH is to remove barriers and encourage more people to train for and enter healthcare fields,” said Lauren Nehlsen, associate dean of recruitment, outreach services and global engagement.
Nineteen current ECC health profession programs qualify for PATH, with another three short-term training programs offered through ECC’s workforce development division. Some programs can be completed in six months or less.
* * *
With a $3,000 donation, the Orland Park Veterans Commission established a new scholarship for veterans or their dependents who attend Moraine Valley Community College. The charter of the Orland Park Veterans Commission is to support veterans in the community.
Arizona
The PepsiCo Foundation has donated $500,000 to Maricopa County Community College District as part of the Uplife Scholarship program, which will provide 200 students with financial assistance as they pursue degrees in fields such as technology and management. The students also will gain access to success coaching, emergency grants and financial literacy resources.
Mississippi
Coahoma Community College (CCC) will use a grant of more than $1 million grant from Accelerate Mississippi to expand its commercial truck driving program and to create a Foundation of Mechatronics curriculum through a virtual reality space.
With the grant, CCC can purchase additional equipment to expand its commercial truck driving program by offering night and weekend classes starting in January.
“The need is there. We currently have a waitlist of over 80 applicants,” said Larry Webster, dean of career & technical education.
New York
Tompkins Cortland Community College has received a $15,000 grant to provide financial assistance to local residents for the 2022-23 academic year. The grant is from the Mildred Faulkner Truman Foundation, which has provided grants to the college annually since 1986.
The funding will go directly to students via grants, typically ranging from $250 to $500 per year.
Texas
The Starr-Camargo Bridge Company is donating $100,000 to the South Texas College (STC) Foundation that will go toward student scholarships.
Company President Sam Vale presented STC with the first installment of what will be $10,000 annually over the next decade.
The donation will fund the Rose First Starr Fund in honor of STC board of trustees chair Rose Benavidez. The award celebrated Benavidez’s recent inauguration as the first Latina board chair of the Association of Community College Trustees.
