The Paulding Rotary Club presented a $50,000 donation to the Chattahoochee Tech Foundation during a ceremony held Tuesday, Aug. 5, at the college’s Paulding Campus. This major gift will establish two annual endowed scholarships for local students. The college will also name the Paulding Campus multipurpose hall in honor of Paulding Rotary, recognizing their commitment to education and community service.
“We are deeply grateful to the Paulding Rotary Club for this generous investment in our students and our shared future,” said Jennifer Nelson, Vice President for Advancement at Chattahoochee Tech. “Their support will have a lasting impact, helping students to succeed and give back to the community.”
The Paulding Rotary Club donation strengthens a long-standing partnership with Chattahoochee Tech, bringing the club’s total contributions to the Chattahoochee Tech Foundation to $101,625 over the past 18 years. It also represents the Paulding Rotary Club’s largest single donation to date, representing years of fundraising, service and a deep commitment to supporting the community’s future.
“We all want to be good stewards of the donations we receive, which is why, when it came time to give, we turned to a trusted community partner, Chattahoochee Tech,” said Paulding Rotary Club President Jake Hammitt. “This is a significant amount of money, but what’s more significant is the help provided to the students.”
He emphasized the lasting impact of investing in students who will go on to serve the local community in vital roles. “Nurses who will serve in our hospitals, welders who will build our infrastructure, and now aviation technicians to help us travel around the globe are all the people we’re supporting,” said Hammitt. “It’s our privilege to help them get started.”
“What makes this donation even more exciting is knowing that it will outlast us all,” he added. “These endowed funds will provide scholarships in perpetuity. We don’t know how many students we’ll help, but I can tell you that the impact is exponential.”
Endowed scholarships are permanent funds invested to generate annual scholarship awards, allowing support for students to continue year after year. These scholarships will ease the financial burden of higher education and empower students to pursue meaningful careers in the community. The two new endowed scholarships established by the Paulding Rotary Club will be awarded each spring to Chattahoochee Tech students who live or work in Paulding County, with funds immediately available for summer term studies.
For more information about the Chattahoochee Tech Foundation or to make a donation, visit ChattahoocheeTech.edu/Foundation.
