by VICTORIA MARTY
Henderson Gleaner

It was one of the last things said at Thursday's Fulfilling the Promise major gifts campaign gathering -- but it's one that will make a lasting impression.

Surpassing its goal of $3.5 million, Henderson Community College raised $5,010,648 as a result of its plan to expand and improve its educational offerings to the community.

"We kind of overshot the runway," said Scott Davis, local businessman and chairman of the campaign executive committee. "It's quite significantly beyond that, in fact."

The money will be used for initiatives including student scholarships, technology advancement and a child development center. Also as a result of the campaign, the college received two gifts of property, and it hopes to expand the nursing program.

The programs that will be instituted as a result of the fundraising campaign will help Tri-county businesses and industries have access to potential employees who have the latest skills needed in today's workplaces.

All 16 member schools of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) have conducted their own "Fulfilling the Promise" fundraising campaigns to meet a number of individual goals for each institution.

More specifically in Henderson, the funding will be used to:

- Develop a campus child development center to meet the needs of students with children, employees of local business and industry, and the community at large. That center also will provide a practical learning environment for students pursuing education studies.

- Student access/student success programs and scholarship endowment to meet the needs of an ever-growing enrollment. The college received a federal grant of $360,000 as well as $360,000 in a matching grant gift to create a total endowment of $720,000 for student scholarships.

- Technology infrastructure advancement to allow HCC to remain current with rapidly changing technology. Students will be trained on state-of-the-art equipment and will be taught by faculty with appropriate credentials and expertise.

The campaign also brought in gifts that will be used to expand the nursing program. Methodist Hospital has partnered with the college and this will allow more students to enter the program each year. This will help address a national shortage of nurses.

Also as a result of the campaign, HCC now has two additional buildings.

The Pennel Street location is the current site for classes for the Industrial Maintenance Technology program. This building, which was a gift, will allow HCC to continue to provide classes at this centralized location while expanding program offerings and student access.

The Herron Technology Center is located in Union County. It will allow for expanded offerings and training.

"We undertook this venture not knowing where we would end up," Davis added. "Giving is a lifelong discipline, duty and blessing, and we" have built a great foundation in donations in going forward.

The other members of the campaign executive committee are Ron Chapman, Bill Clements, Phyllis Crafton, Joan Hoffman, William L. Sullivan, Agnes Whittington, W. Cass Wilson III, Patrick R. Lake and Lisa E. Piccolo.