Success through Internal and External Support

Success through Internal and External Support

Blue Ridge is a College that has shown tremendous success. Our student body, the growth of our enrollment, our faculty and staff, and our facilities are markers of great achievement. That success and achievement is certainly a product of what we do to make it happen. It is also accurate to say that we are successful and stronger for the help of many groups. Among them are the relationships with State legislature, the Chancellor’s office, our local governments, and the topic of this article, our donors.

Our Foundation has been fortunate to connect with some extremely supportive and positive people in the short time that it has been in existence. Recently, the College’s Foundation has received a very generous donation from Paul and Elaine Guttmann. The Guttmanns are a special couple and they exude empathy and kindness, two virtues that are all too infrequent especially in today’s turbulent society. They are indeed exceptional people and demonstrate that you cannot be truly successful until you learn to give beyond yourself.

Our Foundation supports student scholarships. Students who are truly deserving on an academic or need basis can receive help to attend our College through the Foundation. Donations to the Foundation such as the Guttmanns generate interest and dividends that support this effort. There are precious few sources of funding for our College. The budget reality for our state is presently grim, and funding for higher education has experienced some major stress, calling for innovative and different ways of financing. Our tuition levels are still very reasonable, and we need to do everything we can to assure that Blue Ridge CTC continues to be affordable and accessible for a large numbers of students.

I know I am a biased observer, however many will agree that education is one and maybe the best answer to returning middle class strength to our State and nation. Offering affordable education needs to be a priority if we are to continue to be a world-class country. Our private donors are a special group. The Guttmanns are special people. It is through the kindness, generosity, and caring of people such as they that show us you really can make the world a better place, you can make a contribution to society, and you can make a difference. And you decide what you want that difference to be.

As we close out our fifth year at our headquarters building (I know, time flies), let’s give thanks to all of those groups who have made our College a success. Our students just graduated and walked into the world of work or transferred to a baccalaureate program. Our best satisfaction will come from knowing we have prepared them well.

Regards,
Dr. Peter Checkovich
Founding President