Letter to the Editor from Dr. Jerman Disasa, director of Presbyterian College's CHAMPS program

October 5, 2009

To the Editor:

In a time when news headlines on corporations are mostly negative, it is good to have some positive news to share.

Recently the AT&T Corporation released a report on its citizenship efforts and the significant results those efforts have had in communities nationwide. This might sound like more corporate self-congratulations, but we know first hand just what they have done.

We are a direct beneficiary of AT&T’s efforts.

The Presbyterian College CHAMPS program began in the mid-1990s and works with almost 200 students annually from middle school through high school. The ultimate goal for the students is college, not an easy prospect for the students the program serves. Thanks to the hard work of the students, their parents and guardians, their teachers, the college, the school districts, area churches and businesses- indeed, the entire community- this goal of college is a reality for significant numbers of our students.  CHAMPS has given the Laurens County community a source of pride and a sense of ownership of the program.

As the program has grown by leaps and bounds, we have had difficulty serving all the students who need and want the program. Thanks to AT&T the dream just expanded for more students. With the help of a recent $200,000 grant through the AT&T Aspire program for dropout prevention, our CHAMPS program has been able to increase the number of Laurens County students it serves.  And we are just a small part of what AT&T is doing: the company will give more than $865 million over a number of years to support education, volunteerism and environmental initiatives.

We are proud of what our CHAMPS students have accomplished in the years since the program began, and grateful for the support of AT&T. The results speak for themselves. The CHAMPS program and the support it has received from AT&T are doing good things for Laurens County. Thanks, AT&T!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jerman Disasa

Director, Presbyterian College CHAMPS program