Magnolia Manor Senior Living President and CEO Hill Fort and Senior Vice President for Communications Ty Kinslow presented the South Georgia Technical College Foundation with a donation of $5,000 to endow the Magnolia Manor Senior Living Scholarship Fund in support of the “Creating Opportunities” TechForce 2025 drive which is helping fund life-changing benefits for South Georgia Technical College students.
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford accepted the donation on behalf of the SGTC Foundation. “We are appreciative to our partners at Magnolia Manor for their generosity, support, and commitment to South Georgia Tech and our students,” said President Watford. “This endowed scholarship will benefit students and the workforce in our area through additional educational opportunities.
“Magnolia Manor is such a great asset to our community and to South Georgia Technical College. Over the years, hundreds of our nursing students have gained their practical learning and skills through their clinical experience at Magnolia Manor. Many of our graduates from the practical nursing, certified nurse assistant, medical assisting and business or technical programs have gained employment at Magnolia Manor and continue to serve there. On behalf of our faculty, staff, students and graduates, we thank Magnolia Manor for their support of our workforce development mission and now through an endowed scholarship opportunity,” added Dr. Watford.
The SGTC Foundation will utilize the Magnolia Manor donation to provide scholarships to academically deserving and financially disadvantaged students in the medical fields, technical, and business-related programs of study.
“Magnolia Manor is pleased to support the South Georgia Technical College 2025 ‘Creating Opportunities’ TechForce annual fund with this new endowed scholarship. We are grateful for our partnership with South Georgia Tech. The programs they offer are an important part of maintaining a stable workforce not only for Magnolia Manor, but also for our local community and surrounding areas. Our partnership with SGTC is critical to the future of our organization as we work together to provide more skilled nurses for the health care industry,” said Magnolia Manor President and CEO Hill Fort as he presented the donation to the SGTC Foundation.
South Georgia Technical College has been recognized as the top community college in Georgia for the past five years by two different organizations. The college is one of the oldest technical colleges in Georgia and has been providing workforce development education and training for over 77 years. It is one of only two technical colleges in Georgia with on-campus housing and it is nationally recognized for its outstanding academics, student activities, and intercollegiate athletics program. It provides students with the “complete college experience.”
The Georgia Board of Nursing (GBON) granted developmental approval for South Georgia Technical College to offer an Associate of Science Nursing (LPN to RN) Bridge program on the Americus campus and the college has 40 students currently enrolled this fall. Six Magnolia Manor employees are in this first class.
There is currently a critical shortage of Registered Nurses in rural Southwest Georgia and the nation. This new program will build on SGTC’s solid Practical Nursing program and prepare currently Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses. This will be a one-year program and allow LPN’s who have been working for six months or longer to get a jump start on the RN degree.
“With the help of our community partners, the SGTC Foundation’s TechForce drive has made a significant impact on the lives of our students and the college,” said President Watford. “Since the program began 25 years ago, our college has received over $7 million in community support. And that support has benefited thousands of individuals and businesses and industries throughout the state and nation.”
SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the SGTC Foundation Su Ann Bird agreed with Dr. Watford and added, “we appreciate the support of organizations, businesses and individuals who support the Foundation and students who will one day be employed in field in one of the critical areas needed by the citizens of the communities we serve. Their gifts today are helping ‘Creating Opportunities’ for the workforce of tomorrow.”