foundation

Comedian Henry Cho will be the entertainment highlight for the Complete the Dream dinner coming up on November 4. The Volunteer State Community College Foundation is holding the event to raise money for student scholarships and other endeavors. Cho grew up in Knoxville and attended U-T before heading to Hollywood for a stand-up comedy career and appearances on many TV shows and movies. He is known for his “clean” comedy that often describes his experiences as an Asian American growing up in the South.

Comedienne Karen Mills will be the keynote speaker at the 2021 Educate a Woman (EAW) luncheon on Friday, May 14. The event supports scholarships for women at Volunteer State Community College. Mills has been in the humor business for more than 21 years, touring clubs, colleges, and theaters across the country. A publicist said: “She finds the funny in everyday life and that didn’t change when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was determined to take on the disease with hope and humor.

The Trendy Trunk boutique in Hendersonville has established a scholarship to help students at Volunteer State Community College. Deanna Williams, the owner of the store said: “It is important to me, especially this year, to help a student who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford tuition or books.” She is shown here (left) with Karen Mitchell (right), executive director of the College Foundation. The scholarship will provide $1000 to a Vol State student through the Volunteer State College Foundation.

The Volunteer State College Foundation raised more than $39,000 with a virtual Complete the Dream event earlier this fall. Sumner Regional Medical Center was the title sponsor for the virtual event that featured magician and author, Jason Michaels. Attendees, who were at their homes, were able to purchase a “Dream Box” which included food and drink for six people, catered by Myers Front Porch, and two bottles of wine, donated by Bluegrass Beverages.

College student food insecurity has been identified as a major problem in the United States. A 2019 Temple University report said that 48 percent of community college students nationwide are food insecure. That means they lack reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable food. For #GivingTuesday, December 3, the Volunteer State College Foundation is raising funds to support the Vol State Feed student food bank.

The Volunteer State Community College Foundation raised $36,500 recently with its Complete the Dream dinner, celebrating 30 years of College Foundation service to the community. More than 200 people attended the dinner at the Epic Event Centre in Gallatin. This year’s event spotlighted the importance of Health Sciences scholarships and the equipment used in the new Vol State Nursing program. The funds raised will be used to support the Nursing program and student scholarships in Health Sciences.

The Volunteer State Community College Foundation is celebrating 30 years of service to the community with a special event on September 12. Complete the Dream will feature wine and bourbon tasting, dinner, and comedy by Rik Roberts. In 30 years the Foundation has raised approximately $16,555,863 and awarded approximately $6,350,032 in student scholarships. The other funds were used for capital projects that included new buildings, new campuses, renovations of older facilities, and many other projects that directly help Vol State students.

The Friends of SRMC (Sumner Regional Medical Center) has awarded its 2018-2019 scholarship for Health Sciences majors at Volunteer State Community College. Since 2010, twelve students have received over $41,000 from the annual scholarship.  Pictured, left to right, are Karen Mitchell, executive director for the Volunteer State College Foundation; Amanda Talbot, the 2018-2019 scholarship recipient; Loretta Visser, president of the Friends of SRMC Board; and Lori Johnson, director of Volunteer Services for SRMC.

The Volunteer State Community College Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented recently to a former Trustee who has remained active and involved with the Volunteer State College Foundation. Hendersonville businessman Bill Sinks has donated to the Foundation for 15 years and worked on many fundraising campaigns.