Bubbles, Bands, and Brunch Scholarships are available through the Dabney S. Lancaster Community College Educational Foundation for current DSLCC students who will complete at least one year of study at DSLCC this spring and plan to return to the college next fall as a full-time student to complete requirements for an associate’s degree or other program of study. Bubbles, Bands, and Brunch funds also are sometimes used for scholarships for non-traditional students — those who did not seek post-secondary education immediately upon graduation from high school but now want to enroll in DSLCC to gain marketable job skills, facilitate their career advancement or successfully change career paths.

The scholarships are funded from proceeds from the Foundation’s biennial “Bubbles, Bands, & Brunch” fundraiser, according to Scholarship Committee Chair, Donna Vaughn of Eagle Rock. “Without the generosity and support of area businesses and individuals for the ‘Bubbles, Bands and Brunch” fundraiser, the Educational Foundation could not fulfill a long-term goal of providing scholarship opportunities for students who have completed a full year at DSLCC and wish to complete their studies,” explained Vaughn. “These students make up a large part of DSLCC’s enrollment, and their need for assistance is far greater than we originally anticipated. We are not only indebted to the many businesses who have helped to underwrite expenses by serving as corporate sponsors for the event, but also to those who have shown their support through generous donations.”

“As a long-time educator,” Vaughn continued, “I know that education is the key not only to individual prosperity, but also to the success of the whole area. Many former DSLCC students have built rewarding and successful careers right here in the local area. We see them every day—as owners/operators of successful businesses; as CEOs, Vice Presidents, and Managers of local banks; as high school/elementary school principals, teachers, and guidance counselors; as members of our local and state police forces, and as nurses in our hospitals. In short, people who have made and are continuing to make a positive difference in our community.”

Students who meet the following requirements may qualify for a BBB Scholarship:

• Reside in college service area and be eligible for in-state tuition
• Be a current, full-time student at DSLCC
• Have completed at least one year of study (minimum 24/maximum 45 credit hours) at DSLCC with a minimum GPA of 3.0
• Be a full-time student during the academic year the scholarship is in force.

Held every other year, proceeds from past Bubbles, Bands and Brunch fundraisers have provided nearly $40,000 in scholarships to DSLCC continuing and non-traditional students. The next “Bubbles, Bands, and Brunch” event will be held in the fall of 2013.

In addition to the thousands of dollars awarded in student scholarships each year, the Foundation also provides support for College programs through the purchase of state-of-the-art technological and classroom equipment and the awarding of educational travel grants, which enable full time faculty members to broaden and enhance their expertise and curricula.

Deadline for application is Wednesday, May 16, 2012. Applications are available in the DSLCC Educational Foundation Office–room 104, Backels Hall on the Clifton Forge campus–or online at www.dslcc.edu. Contact Educational Foundation Director, Lynda Thompson, by phone at 540/862-283 or by email at lthompson@dslcc.edu for more information. Visitors to the Foundation’s web site may fill out, print, and mail a completed application to the DSLCC Educational Foundation, P. O. Box 1000, Clifton Forge, VA 24422.

– Submitted by Lynda Thompson, Director, DSLCC Educational Foundation