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COA Foundation Hosts Annual Scholarship Luncheon

Elizabeth City, North Carolina – College of The Albemarle (COA) Foundation held its annual scholarship luncheon on Sunday, Nov. 3, at the YMCA at the Pines. The luncheon gave scholarship recipients the opportunity to connect with scholarship donors and community partners who invest in their education through gifts to scholarship funds.

The luncheon, with 95 in attendance, kicked off with remarks and an invocation from Dr. Travis Twiford, interim president at COA. He thanked the donors for their support of COA and the investment in the students to help them reach their goals. Dr. Twiford also recommended that scholarship recipients reflect upon the conversations they would have with donors and to recognize “the intent of the donors, through their generosity, is to assist you in your educational journey and to see you all achieve great success.”

Joan Maxwell, president of Regulator Marine in Edenton, and Al Partin, customer service manager at Regulator Marine, were featured speakers at the luncheon. Maxwell, who attended the luncheon with her husband, Owen, discussed the working relationship that COA has had with Regulator Marine and how the college has been a part of their history and their future. Regulator Marine is in its 31st year of operation and the company regularly hires COA graduates.

Partin is a 1971 graduate of COA and has been employed with Regulator Marine for almost 18 years. He shared with the audience that COA was a great option for him upon graduation from John A. Holmes High School, noting that he enjoyed drafting classes while in high school and had a desire to continue those at COA. Partin, whose wife, Lynn, also attended the luncheon, shared that COA helped him to gain a skill set and the location of the college, affordability, and the “close knit community” atmosphere were key factors in his decision to attend.

Doug Gardner, president of the Foundation Board of Directors, touched on highlights over the course of the 2018 – 2019 year, including $368,769 in scholarships awarded to 224 students. He also shared that through the recently formed Alumni Association, the Foundation has connected with over 600 alumni. “There is no better investment than COA,” Gardner affirmed.

The executive director of the Foundation closed out the program and recognized the 2019 – 2020 student ambassadors Holly Brown, Elena Chernyshova, Rosie Garcia and Yulia Vozzhaeva. The students who receive scholarship money from the M.G. Morrisette Jr. Fund serve as representatives of the college and volunteer for Foundation events throughout the academic year and encouraged students to begin applying for Foundation scholarships for the 2020 – 2021 academic year.

The deadline to apply for scholarships is March 15.