Events
A Showcase of Wake Tech's Community Impact
College Hosts “Ignite” Celebration
RALEIGH, N.C. (March 7, 2018) - Wake Tech showcased student and alumni success and the college’s impact on the community today during a celebration at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel. More than 200 local leaders and influencers gathered to hear from students and community partners. Video highlights.
“Wake Tech Ignite,” hosted by the Wake Tech Foundation, featured several dynamic speakers with inspirational and life changing stories:
- Terence Morrison, a local entrepreneur, explained how the college helped him start his own business. “I would tell anyone who is even considering starting a company to check out Wake Tech’s Small Business Center.”
- Hannah Moyles, a student who works at the Angus Barn, touted the college’s culinary and baking programs and how they have made a positive impact on the hospitality industry. “Many of the chefs and sous chefs who work at restaurants in Wake County were trained at Wake Tech.”
- Ashton Smith, a representative from Citrix, praised Wake Tech’s corporate partnerships and training resources. “It’s not just Citrix, countless companies large and small have benefited from corporate partnerships and corporate training through Wake Tech.”
- A.C. Rich, battalion chief for the Raleigh Fire Department, discussed how Wake Tech’s first responder training played a role in last year’s historic fire in downtown Raleigh. “Nine out of 10 firefighters in Wake County participate in Wake Tech programs.”
One of the highlights of the celebration: the announcement of a major new donation to the Wake Tech Foundation. Martha Mann Smith, a retired nurse who lives in Apex, gifted the nursing program with $1 million over several years to support student scholarships, faculty training and professional development. The program has been re-named the Martha Mann Smith School of Nursing. “This is the kind of announcement that very few community colleges ever have the opportunity to make,” said Ann Marie Tomase Milner, Nursing Administrative Department Head. “Mrs. Smith’s donation is transformative. It will make an already great program even better!”
There was also a celebration of the 10th anniversary of Wake Tech’s Fostering Bright Futures program, a public-private partnership that provides tutoring, mentoring, and financial support to help former foster youth pursue higher education. Christy Setola-Cyr, a 2014 graduate, received a standing ovation after she told the crowd how the program changed her life and helped her reach her college and career goals. “Wake Tech was the support system I needed to realize I am not alone.”
Wake Tech President Dr. Stephen Scott said the college’s ability to serve more than 72,000 students a year is a team effort. “The secret sauce at Wake Tech is the collaboration between the faculty, staff, trustees, and students and the support that you in the community give us. Wake Tech is a special place that truly changes lives.”
The Wake Tech Foundation cultivates and manages a variety of resources critical to Wake Tech’s success: corporate investments, private grants, alumni and employee contributions, and financial and in-kind support from many other friends of the college. These resources fund diverse projects, from student scholarships to broader instructional and institutional needs.
