Henderson Rotary Club endows VGCC Scholarship

The Henderson Rotary Club recently made a donation to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund that will create an Academic Achievement scholarship in the club’s name. The first Henderson Rotary Club scholarship will be awarded later this year to a VGCC student.

Above, from left, VGCC Vice President of Institutional Advancement/Endowment Fund director Jo Anna Jones and VGCC President Randy Parker thanked Marion D. Lark of Henderson, the club’s president, and Hutson Wester of Henderson, the club’s treasurer, when Lark and Wester presented the gift on Feb. 4.

Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. The Henderson group is one of over 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. As signified by the motto “Service Above Self,” Rotary’s main objective is service – in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.

The Henderson Rotary Club scholarship will add to the more than 5,000 VGCC scholarships awarded since 1982, which have been funded by interest earned on the Endowment Fund and Scholarship Program. Scholarships have been established by individuals, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff to assist deserving VGCC students. With assets of more than $6 million, VGCC has one of the largest community college endowment and scholarship funds in the state. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. In Fall 2007, Vance-Granville awarded scholarships to a record 317 full-time students.