Starkville Bridges donates $22.5K to EMCC for veterans’ scholarships

Published 12:15 pm Monday, July 23, 2018

STARKVILLE — A $22,500 donation by the nonprofit organization Starkville Bridges to East Mississippi Community College will provide scholarships to eligible U.S. military veterans who served on foreign soil.

Starkville Bridges President Lynn Phillips-Gaines presented a $22,500 check from the organization to EMCC Executive Director of College Advancement Marcus Wood on July 19. The money will be used to establish a scholarship fund that will provide up to $1,500 per semester to qualified veterans who are enrolled in technical programs offered through EMCC’s Manufacturing, Technology and Engineering Division.

“We want to recognize the sacrifice paid by our veterans, many of whom have fought in wars far away from home,” Phillips-Gaines said in a statement. “We feel the establishment of this scholarship fund is one way in which we can accomplish that. Many of our veterans return home and find they don’t have the resources needed to obtain an education or training for a vocation. Our hope is these scholarships will help address those needs.”

Wood said he cannot think of a more worthy cause.

“East Mississippi Community College is honored to partner with Starkville Bridges to provide these scholarships to our returning military veterans,” Wood said. “We are grateful to Lynn and her organization for providing the funds to make this possible.”

MTE Division Veteran Scholarships will be available to qualified veterans enrolled in one of the following programs: Automation & Control, Automotive, Computer Networking, Computer Programming, Database Administration, Diesel Mechanics, Drafting & Design, Electrical, Electro-Mechanical, Industrial Maintenance, Mechatronics, Network Security, Precision Manufacturing & Machining, or Welding Programs.

Diesel Mechanics is offered as a career certificate program. Computer Networking, Computer Programming, Database Administration and Network Security are two-year programs that lead to Associate of Applied Science degrees. Students can earn either a career certificate or an associate’s degree in the remaining programs.

The scholarships will be made available to qualified returning veterans who were deployed and are not on active duty. Preference will be given to veterans from Oktibbeha County who served in the Middle East.

To qualify, veterans must use their GI Bill educational benefits and demonstrate a financial need.

“This is intended to serve as a supplement to the funds for which our veterans already qualify,” MTED Navigator Greta Miller said. “Some of our National Guard students, for example, have been activated and deployed but only receive a percentage of their VA benefits when they return home.”

The mission of Starkville Bridges is to eradicate poverty in Oktibbeha County by providing the education and resources needed to transition into the middle class, according to the organization’s website.

Veterans who would like more information about the MTE Division Veteran Scholarships can contact MTED Navigators Greta Miller or Patricia Corrigan. Call Miller at 662-243-2659 or send her an email at gmiller@eastms.edu. Corrigan can be reached at 662-243-2631 or pcorrigan@eastms.edu.