Wake Tech Foundation
New Scholarship Opportunity for Future Teachers
RALEIGH, N.C. (September 4, 2025) – Will Smith, chair of the Wake Tech Foundation Board of Directors, and his family have established a generous scholarship endowment to support students pursuing Early Childhood Education degrees.
Smith, advanced planning advisor and team leader for Capitol Financial Solutions in Raleigh, and his wife, Summer, have established a $37,500 endowment with the Wake Tech Foundation that will provide scholarships for Wake Tech students pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree in Early Childhood Education.
The Will and Summer Smith Family Scholarship Endowment creates a permanent fund for students who are focusing on a career in the classroom. The endowment will provide one scholarship a year.
“Education is important to our family,” said Smith. “My mom taught school in between raising five children and my younger brother teaches in Roanoke, VA. With this endowment we want to continue to develop quality people in our community who are positioned to contribute and lead.”
Smith’s two young sons Jack and Ben were on hand for the announcement and even helped sign the oversized symbolic check.
“We want the boys to see that we practice what we preach at home – we have five family principles: Honesty, Gratitude, Service, Progression, and Respect. This definitely addresses the service and gratitude components of that,” Smith said. “Faith, family and education are important to us.”
"Wake Tech is grateful for the support and generosity of Will and his family," said Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls. "Because of this endowment, deserving Wake Tech students will have an opportunity to pursue their goal of becoming educators with less financial burden."
Wake Tech's Early Childhood Education Career Track curriculum prepares individuals to work with children from birth through age 8 in a variety of learning environments. Graduates are prepared to begin working immediately in early childhood education programs.
The Early Childhood Education Non-Licensure AAS degree prepares students to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor's degree.
Learn more about Wake Tech’s education programs at education.waketech.edu.
