More than 100 scholarship recipients, donors, and community leaders gathered on Friday, November 6 at the Moomaw Center for the Mountain Gateway Community College (MGCC) Educational Foundation’s annual Donor Scholar Reception. The event brought students face-to-face with the benefactors who support their educational journeys, highlighted by the announcement of a landmark $900,000 commitment to the College.
MGCC President John Rainone gave opening remarks from the college. MGCC Educational Foundation President Lois Switzer gave opening remarks from the Educational Foundation.
The afternoon reached a major milestone when MGCC Educational Foundation Executive Director Bruce Loving announced a $900,000 estate gift pledge by donor Gail MacLeod. MacLeod’s past philanthropy of $60,000 helped fund a career coach position, expanding guidance and resources for area students. Her entry into the college’s Legacy Society will raise her lifetime giving to the MGCC Educational Foundation to over one million dollars.
"Gail MacLeod’s vision and generosity have already made a transformational difference for our students through her support of career coaching in Rockbridge County," said Loving. "This extraordinary $900,000 pledge will leave a lasting legacy across our campus and community, ensuring that future generations of MGCC students have access to the resources and support they need to succeed."
Other gifts were recognized as well.
- Elizabeth Bodkin gave a $10,000 gift in memory of her late husband Mike Bodkin, a college alum, who for nearly three decades coordinated Hunters for the Hungry. The funds will be used for student emergencies.
- Teenie Kegley of B.A. Rupert Real Estate was recognized for her funding from the Teenie and Waren Kegley Fund that will support two months of the Roadrunner Café, which gives students access to snacks on campus at no charge.
- Kathy Saville was recognized for her sponsorship of the reception, which was awash in purple.
- Anne Rogers from the Virginia Community College System was recognized for the support from the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education.
Other highlights included student speaker Chad Stancil who spoke of his journey from addiction to recovery. Stancil leads Recover Virginia, and credited the Educational Foundation, the Alleghany Foundation, and MGCC President Dr. John Rainone for the nonprofit management courses he has taken at the college. Dr. Rainone was also recognized for receiving the Founders Award from Southern New Hampshire University.
The Educational Foundation began a new tradition of honoring a person behind each named memorial scholarship. This year, Christopher Baker was remembered with a heartfelt tribute. His parents, Doris and Rodney Baker, were in attendance.
Throughout the reception, Loving emphasized the collective impact of all the donors, organizations, and community partners in attendance whose contributions fund scholarships across the institution.
Loving’s final remarks drew inspiration from the classic children’s book Harold and the Purple Crayon. He reminded the scholars that they have a blank page before them and, just as Harold never waited for anyone’s approval to draw his moon, define his dreams or determine his future, neither should they. He challenged them to draw their own future and pursue their dreams, emphasizing that their futures would be shaped not by the judgments of others, but by the dreams they dare to pursue and the actions they take to make them reality.
The annual Donor Scholar Reception serves as a centerpiece event for the MGCC Educational Foundation, fostering direct connections between student scholars and the philanthropic leaders who invest in their futures.
For more information about the MGCC Educational Foundation or scholarship opportunities, visit www.mgcc.edu/giving or call 540-863-2835.
A complete list of the scholarships and the student recipients can be viewed HERE.