Back row, left to right: Joel Breeding, Stone County Jail Chapel Representative; Gin Brown, Ozarka College – Mountain View Site Coordinator; Jim Kane, Member-at-Large; Jim Qualls, SCCRC President; Sandy Qualls, SCCRC Secretary; Bill Settle, SCCRC Treasurer; Jane Shipman, Ozarka College Foundation Board Member.
The Ozarka College Foundation recently received a $10,000 scholarship endowment from the Stone County Community Resource Council. The board approved the donation during its Dec. 13 meeting and presented the donation to Ozarka College President Dr. Richard Dawe on Jan. 9.
Ozarka College, with its main campus located in Melbourne, Ark., opened the Mountain View campus in Stone County in 1997. The Stone County Community Resource Council created its first scholarship endowment in March 2007, and since that time has endowed four other scholarships. They have also donated an additional $20,000 toward facilities on the new campus, including $10,000 toward the construction of the Student Success Center, which opened in August 2011, and $10,000 toward an amphitheatre that is scheduled for completion in 2012.
Stone County Community Resource Council President Jim Qualls said they chose Ozarka College as a recipient based on the idea that they wanted to give the people of Stone County additional help and an additional option. He said the people in the county come to them first when they are in need and that by supporting Ozarka College, they are able to direct those in need toward something that isn’t just a temporary solution, but rather something, such as an education, that can change their circumstances.
Each scholarship is awarded through the Ozarka College Foundation and is worth $250 per semester for a total of $500 per year. With the newest endowment, five students who reside in Stone County will have the opportunity to pursue their higher education goals.
“The remarkable continued support from the SCCRC is having a powerful impact on Mountain View and Stone County students,” said Dawe. “Their dedication to higher education and to providing greater opportunities for our students is impressive, and deeply appreciated.”
The Stone County Community Resource Council is a non-profit organization that offers support to the citizens of Stone County, Ark. They accept clothing donations to be sold at their consignment store in order to raise funds and is ran strictly by the people of Stone County who volunteer their time, energy and financial resources.
