JCSU News Release

The Wachovia Foundation Donates
$1 Million to JCSU

The Wachovia Foundation announced today (November 15) a
$1 million pledge to Johnson C. Smith University. The Wachovia Foundation’s $1 million gift will be used to grow the existing “Wachovia Excellence Endowed Scholarship,” currently at $90,000, to $1 million to support many more deserving students.

Funds will also be used to launch the JCSU Student Leadership Program (SLP), including various professional development workshops and activities. The SLP will focus on enhancing students’ leadership and professional development skills, as well as their business acumen. Wachovia Excellence Scholars will work with company executives to develop, plan, and execute the activities for the SLP.

“This major contribution not only increases the Wachovia Excellence Scholars program, it also will ensure an increase of students who will receive a quality education at JCSU,” said Johnson C. Smith University President Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy.

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Ken Westary said, “This will be an excellent vehicle for selected students to actually lead a major initiative that will ultimately benefit many JCSU students. We are pleased to have The Wachovia Foundation as one of our supporters of programs focused on student leadership and professional development.”

“At The Wachovia Foundation, we believe that every student in our nation should have access to a high quality education, from pre-school through college. That’s why we’ve made education one of our top community priorities,” said Tami
Simmons, Director of Corporate Philanthropy and Environmental Affairs for The Wachovia Foundation. “The Wachovia Foundation is proud to support JCSU, because we know that increasing access to education is the most important
investment we can make in future generations.

In addition to supporting scholarships at individual colleges and universities, The Foundation has contributed millions of dollars to fund scholarships through the United Negro College Fund, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the Asian &
Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, the Hispanic Association of
Colleges and Universities, and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

About The Wachovia Foundation

The Wachovia Foundation is a private foundation that provides grants to eligible 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations to support four primary focus areas:
Education, Community Development, Health and Human Services and Arts and Culture. The mission of The Wachovia Foundation is to build strong and vibrant communities, improve the quality of life, and make a positive difference.