Last month, Shelby County mayor A C Wharton announced the first STEP
toward helping educate local community-college and technical-school
students.
STEP, a post-secondary education program funded in part by the
Assisi Foundation of Memphis, AT&T, and Volunteer Mid-South, awards
students scholarships and pairs them with mentors.
In the fall, full-time students enrolled in their first year at a
Shelby County state-funded community college or technical training
curriculum will be eligible for the program. Along with a community
service requirement, students must complete a Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and apply for federal and state grants. The
scholarship is designed to bridge the gap between the financial aid
students receive and the cost of tuition.
“We are extraordinarily pleased that Mayor Wharton has a vision to
ensure that deserving students achieve their educational goals,” says
Nathan Essex, president of Southwest Tennessee Community College. “Many
first-generation students will certainly benefit from this outstanding
initiative.”
Rhonda Turner, Wharton’s communications coordinator, says that the
total amount of STEP funding remains to be determined, but that the
program hopes to accomodate all students who apply.
Program participants will be paired with mentors who are part of the
mayor’s 100, a volunteer team of online mentors. STEP board member
Nicole Roy says mentors will help students with academics, community
service obligations, and career planning.
“I will be able to monitor the students’ progress through the web
and gauge their success,” she says.
By helping students, the founders of STEP hope to increase the
amount of skilled workers throughout Shelby County.
“STEP provides the opportunity for students and mentors to form a
supportive network,” Wharton says. “It imbues our own philanthropic
spirit and keeps students on track to complete their post-secondary
education and successfully enter our workforce with valuable skills and
training.”
