SECU Foundation awards funding to aid allied health students

By: Mike Gavin
Published: October 10, 2024

SPINDALE (Oct. 9, 2024) – The North Carolina SECU Foundation awarded scholarship funding this month for students at Isothermal Community College in nurse aide and other allied health programs.  

Officials from the State Employees Credit Union presented a check for $18,000 to college administrators recently. The funding is expected to help up to 30 students with books, class supplies and scrubs. 

“We appreciate this funding so much,” said Tracey Evans, ICC’s director of Nursing and Health Sciences. “When the students find out this money is available to them, they just light up. They often are making so many sacrifices to make a better life for themselves and their families, so it’s great to help them ease that burden in any way we can.” 

The member-funded SECU Foundation introduced the program in 2018 to help students seeking to obtain careers with sustainable wages in their local communities.  

Administered by Isothermal, the initiative focuses on assisting individuals with finding vocational and job placement opportunities through eligible training programs that lead to state-regulated or industry-recognized credentials. Scholarship funding is applied to educational expenses and other expenditures associated with their program of study through a North Carolina Community College workforce development program. 

“This scholarship program goes to the heart of what SECU does in our communities,” said Annette Blanton, SECU’s district senior vice president. “It fills the gap with support for people to advance their careers, in turn making our communities better places.” 

With the combined commitments for the SECU Bridge to Career and “People Helping People” Community College Scholarship programs, SECU Foundation funding for the NC Community College System totals over $1.6 million annually.