GEDC Scholarship Recipients Announced

GARNER, NORTH CAROLINA – The first students to receive a scholarship to attend Wake Tech through the Garner Economic Development Corporation’s Endowment for Education were recognized at the Board’s November meeting.

From left to right: Rodney Dickerson (Town of Garner), Griffin Laughridge (GEDC), Paige Harris (GMHS), Stephanie Lake (WTF), Daniel Mendoza-Perez (student), Chris Yoo (student), Jeff Swain (GEDC), Amaryah Thomas (student), Timothy Walker (SGHS), Ken Marshburn (Mayor), Doris Huebner (GEDC), and Suzanne Griffin (GEDC).

Representatives from the Garner Economic Development Corporation (GEDC), the Town of Garner, Wake Technical Community College Foundation, and Wake County Public Schools gathered to celebrate the first scholarship recipients at the corporation’s board meeting.

Daniel Mendoza-Perez and Kailey Liles, 2021 graduates of South Garner High School, and Amaryah Thomas and Chris Yoo, 2021 graduates of Garner Magnet High School, were each awarded scholarships of $2,200 to further their education at Wake Tech.

This endowment was created in the Spring of 2021 with a $250,000 donation from the GEDC to the Wake Tech Foundation. Through the endowment, at least one student from each of the two Garner area high schools will be able to attend Wake Tech at no cost for two years. This year, with greater returns than were expected, the GEDC was able to offer 2 students from each of the high schools a scholarship.

“We are thrilled to be a part of these young adult’s life journey. This endowment was not only setup to help ensure our local business community has access to a well-educated workforce, it is also a tool to help break the cycle of poverty in our community and ensure that the rising tide that we see in the Triangle, surely does lift all ships,” said GEDC Chairman Jeff Swain

Interested students applied for the scholarship through the Wake Tech Foundation and were selected based on merit as well as the overall impact the scholarship could have on that student’s life. Many of the students who will receive this scholarship will be the first in their families to attend college.

“What a great day for Garner,” said Mayor Ken Marshburn. “These scholarships will have an invaluable impact on the lives of those that receive them. As I explained to this year’s recipients, we want them to get their education and then come back to Garner and help us make our community an even better place.”

For more information regarding economic development matters in the Town of Garner, contact Joe Stallings at 919-773-4431 or jstallings@garnernc.gov. 

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