Greenville Tech Foundation announces Champions for Student Success event

The Greenville Tech Foundation will host its annual signature fundraising event, Champions for Student Success, on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at the new PRISMA Health Center for Health & Life Sciences located on Greenville Technical College’s main Barton Campus.

This state-of-the-art facility represents Greenville Technical College’s commitment to advanced health sciences education and a future-focused workforce. The building will be central to empowering individuals, changing lives, and reshaping communities by impacting 90% of the college’s students, welcoming over 150,000 visitors annually, and serving 100% of the 500-600 health sciences graduates that Greenville Technical College contributes to the local workforce each year. It’s no coincidence that the presenting sponsors are McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, the visionary architects who designed the center, and Harper General Contractors, the team that brought that vision to life.

The Greenville Tech Foundation is grateful for the media sponsorship of Community Journals, helping to raise awareness about the importance of community involvement in education.

The event honors and recognizes businesses, individuals, and partners for their significant support of Greenville Technical College’s education and student success initiatives. Proceeds will provide unrestricted resources to support the Greenville Tech Foundation mission. This year’s Champions for Student Success will honor the Daniel-Mickel Foundation and the F. W. Symmes Foundation for their exceptional commitment to Greenville Technical College and its students.

Daniel-Mickel Foundation: The Daniel-Mickel Foundation has been a committed partner and investor in the Greenville Tech Foundation and Greenville Technical College since 2001. Charles E. Daniel and his nephew, Buck Mickel, were pioneers in workforce development and industrial growth in the Upstate of South Carolina. The Daniel-Mickel Foundation has maintained the vision of its founders and has demonstrated a continued commitment to improving the lives of community members by contributing generously to education, arts and culture, health and human services, and the environment. Students at Greenville Technical College have benefited from gifts valued at over $333,000. These gifts include establishing the Buck Mickel Endowed Scholarship for Career Development, gifts to Corporate and Continuing Education in Information Technology, naming a classroom at the Truist Culinary and Hospitality Innovation Center, and supporting the African American Male Scholars Initiative and Student Emergency Needs programs. This continued commitment to education has helped transform students’ lives and has contributed to the economic vitality of the region. The Daniel-Mickel Foundation has left a lasting legacy in the Upstate of South Carolina and is a true champion for student success.

F. W. Symmes Foundation: The F. W. Symmes Foundation has been one of Greenville Technical College’s and the Greenville Tech Foundation’s most ardent and generous supporters since 1998. Committed to making a positive impact on the lives of students in Greenville County, the F. W. Symmes Foundation’s support of over $375,000 has been instrumental in the success of students. Through creation of the GED Endowed Scholarship and Quick Jobs Scholarships, naming of the Library and Learning Resources at the SC Army National Guard Readiness Center at SCTAC where the Aircraft Maintenance Technology program is located, and their most recent naming of four large classrooms and one small classroom in the new PRISMA Health Center for Health & Life Sciences, the F. W. Symmes Foundation has helped provide Greenville Technical College students with exceptional opportunities to learn, grow, and meet the workforce demands of the community. Fred W. Symmes, namesake of the Foundation, was born and raised in Greenville, attended Furman University, and spent his life building the textile industry in the Upstate. Mr. Symmes managed and organized the Nuckasee Manufacturing Co., later a subsidiary of United Merchants and Manufacturers and Piedmont Plush Mills. He was active in the Greenville community and served as chairman of the library board and as a member of the Public Works Commission. Mr. Symmes believed “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.” The F. W. Symmes Foundation embodies this philosophy as they continue to strengthen the community by championing Greenville Technical College students as well as other literacy and education initiatives in the area.

The event begins with a networking reception at 5:30 PM, followed by a program featuring the honorees. Over 200 community and business leaders are expected to attend.

“As the business community in the Upstate prospers, it is more important than ever that we continue to provide workers with the skills and education they need to meet the growing demands of area companies,” said Ann Wright, vice president for advancement with the Greenville Tech Foundation. “This annual event helps recognize the outstanding efforts of individuals and businesses in our community who are champions for student success – raising awareness of the opportunities and programs provided by Greenville Technical College to meet present and future workforce goals.”