The Foundation of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute recently held a special reception in honor of the 2025-2026 Foundation Scholarship recipients and donors at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir. The event provided an opportunity for student recipients to meet and talk with the donors who made their scholarships possible through contributions to the Foundation.
CCC&TI President Dr. Mark Poarch and Foundation Board Vice-Chair Deborah Murray opened the event and welcomed all those in attendance, thanking donors for their continued support of CCC&TI and local students and to the scholarship recipients for their attendance at the evenings event.
Murray summed up the overall spirit of the event with her comments: “Tonight is a rare opportunity for our donors and recipients. Tonight the faces behind the dollars and the faces behind the dreams are in the same room and that is a remarkable and a rare thing,” said Murray.“As donors or recipients, you came with your own story and both of your stories will change as a result of giving and receiving these gifts. So tonight, share your stories and your dreams with all of us and each other. Congratulations!”
The event also featured two student scholarship recipients who shared about their journey and how their Foundation scholarships have impacted their lives.
Benjamin “Badger” Faulkner is working toward his associate in science degree and is the recipient of the Jimmy and Nancy Hemphill Scholarship. Faulkner, who graduated from Myers Park High School in 2020, faced some health issues that resulted in extended hospitalization and extensive medical bills, which created a barrier to enrolling in college to continue his education. But over the course of five years, Faulkner concentrated on working and paying off those debts while also saving and planning for his future.
Faulkner moved to the Granite Falls area in 2025 and at the urging of his best friend Stacy, a current CCC&TI student and Student Government Association President, enrolled in the associate in science degree program at CCC&TI. “I believe that deciding to come here was the most important and impactful decision in my life up to this point, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support that this scholarship provided to me,” said Faulkner. “I have met so many students just like me, people who have the world on their shoulders and are trying their best to make a better life for themselves. I am inspired everyday working with people from all walks of life, people who show tenacity in the face of adversity.” Faulkner will earn his degree at the end of the Summer 2026 semester and has already been accepted into NC State’s Plant Biology undergraduate program. “The generosity shown by the Foundation and Mr. Hemphill will have a profound and lifelong impact on my direction in life, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Thank you.”
Also speaking at the event was Bernhardt Family Scholarship recipient, single parent and adult learner Michella Dowdy. Dowdy wanted to train for a better job and achieve a better life for herself and her children which led to her enrolling in CCC&TI’s Hospitality Management Program. “I took a chance, a chance that wasn’t given, easy or made without sacrifice. A chance to become someone who makes a difference and helps others as I have been helped,” she said. “Life can get hard when you step into the unknown and I am thankful for the people in this room who have never given up on me, and to the Bernhardts who’ve made sure my struggle wasn’t as hard as it would have been without [their] generosity. I know I can and will succeed. Thank you to everyone involved for helping make my journey easier, and soon successful.”
Foundation Board Chair Peg Broyhill closed the event by extending her gratitude to the donors and the students in attendance. “It is so wonderful to have our scholarship recipients here tonight so they can meet the people who have made their scholarships possible,” said Broyhill. “When our donors and our college come together to support students, we are rising together and together we can create both opportunity and success. So thank you to our donors. We celebrate and thank each and every one of you. And thank you to everyone for being here tonight.”
The Foundation of CCC&TI is currently conducting its 2026 Annual Fund Drive Campaign, which raises funds for scholarships, the Dream Award Program, student emergency assistance and other priorities. For more information or to make a donation to the Annual Fund Drive, visit www.cccti.edu/donate or call the Foundation at 828-726-2260.