Another year, another successful K. Ray Bailey / A-B Tech Foundation Invitational Golf Classic!

June 3, 2016 was a beautiful day for golf and for helping the students of A-B Tech. The proceeds from this annual tournament go directly to the K. Ray Bailey/A-B Tech Foundation Golf Classic Scholarship program, which has grown into one of the largest student scholarships administered by the A-B Tech Foundation. Through the help of our golfers and sponsors, we are able to distribute more than 40 scholarships annually, providing vital educational and professional opportunities that may  otherwise be out of reach for many of our students.

This year's winners were: 1st place gross - Hart Funeral Home, 2nd place gross - Young Office, 3rd place gross - Appalachian Tools; 1st place net - Vannoy Construction, 2nd place net - GE Aviation, 3rd place net - WRESA.

We greatly appreciate the work of our Golf Planning Committee and the 25+ A-B Tech staff and local volunteers who helped during the event. Additionally, A-B Tech student and Golf Scholarship recipient Robert Conyers gave a wonderful talk on the impact of this scholarship in his life.

Finally, we'd like to say a huge "Thank You" to our 2016 Teams and Sponsors for making this such a successful day. Visit the Office of College Advancement's website for more information on tournament sponsors: https://www.abtech.edu/content/college-advancement/special-events 

Having moved here from California in 2013, I applied to A-B Tech but had no money to pay for tuition. I was somewhat hysterical because I really wanted to start school as soon as possible. I was driven towards looking for other ways to pay for the classes I wanted to take, like applying for a scholarship. It was a very easy process that I thought I would fail at because I had low self-esteem. However, to my surprise I actually won the Out of State [Enrollment] scholarship, which helped me kick start my schooling into the Veterinary Technology program here at A-B Tech. Winning the scholarship meant more to me than just money. It made me feel as if I could succeed with anything I wanted to do in life and that being a failure was just a false image I created about myself. With this new perspective, I went into the program with a positive attitude and ended up making the President's List three times and the Dean's List once within two years. I also ended up applying for a second scholarship my second year in the program and won the Veterinary Medical Technology Program scholarship [through the A-B Tech Foundation].

Being in the Veterinary Technology program was one of the best experiences of my life. It was exciting for me because I was finally able to focus and learn new things that applied to my career choice. It felt amazing to be able to help out the animals at the Asheville Humane Society for free, through the program, while practicing the technical skills I needed for my career as a Veterinary Technician. The teachers were also wonderful to be around because they were very encouraging and caring about not only my education, but me as an individual. They were also willing to stay over or come in on their days off to help those who needed a little more time to grasp a subject. I couldn't ever picture having a better and more dedicated instructing staff than them.

I plan on doing whatever I can with my degree to help save animal lives from this day forward. However, I have always wanted to be a Veterinarian and this program helped me realize that I have the potential and motivation to become one. So, once I graduate in August I plan on working part-time as a Veterinary Technician while gaining experience and going to school to become a Veterinarian. Since the program exposed me to various fields and opportunities, I have decided that I would like to practice in either equine medicine or work at the zoo.

There are a variety of ways to give at A-B Tech, from cash gifts to planned giving. Volunteerism, often overlooked as a form of giving, is another impactful way to contribute to the College. Last year (FY15/16) sixty-eight volunteers contributed 4,697 hours of service to the College, an in-kind value of $105,685.00 according to the Independent Sector.

The intrinsic value of volunteerism, however, is not all about economic value.  Volunteerism is about giving of one's skills, talents and time to improving the lives of others and the community as a whole. We see confirmation of this statement in a recent survey completed by our A-B Tech volunteers in which they ranked "giving back to the community" and "supporting the mission of A-B Tech" as their top reasons for volunteering here. When asked to elaborate, volunteers overwhelmingly stated that they could see first-hand how their role at A-B Tech supports the Mission of A-B Tech to inspire, nurture and empower students and the community towards a better quality of life. For many, it is the reason they continue to volunteer here year after year.

 

As we start upon a new academic year please consider giving your time and talents to the College by becoming a volunteer. We have many ways to get involved, including tutoring, mentoring and administrative support. We even have a special need for Veterans to support our student Veterans Café. Whatever your expertise, we can use your skills.

For more information please visit: https://www.abtech.edu/content/College-Advancement/Find-Your-Volunteer-Niche-at-A-B-Tech