Celebrating Abney Day

The Foundation kicked off its annual giving campaign, Be the Change, with a breakfast on October 18, and held several other events in the Anderson Hall Events Center.

This annual giving campaign, which ended November 11, benefits scholarships, priority needs, and other important initiatives.

Without support from individuals who make gifts of all amounts, many opportunities simply would not exist for our students. Many students are enrolled this year only because of the resources provided to them by the Foundation. Many of you helped to make a scholarship possible and changed a student’s life.

Your support of the Foundation, at whatever level, is important in absolute terms but more important in letting others know that we all believe in and support the work of the Foundation as it supports the work of the College.

Together your gifts make it possible to award more than 500 student scholarships this year. Together we can Be the Change. The Foundation hosted Souper Bowl Monday on October 25 where faculty and staff enjoyed a loaded baked potato lunch

left: Hannah Fakoornejad, left, received the Judges’ First Place Taste Award, and Tina Burton, right, received the Judges’ First Place Presentation Award. right: Heidi Mathis won the People’s First Place Taste Award for her Broccoli-Cheddar Soup. and voted on favorite soups prepared by faculty/staff campaign representatives. The winners were: • Judges’ First Place Taste Award—Hannah Fakoornejad, Ham and Split Pea Soup • Judges’ First Place Presentation Award—Tina Burton, Autumn Chicken Chili • People’s First Place Taste Award—Heidi Mathis, BroccoliCheddar • People’s First Place Presentation Award—Amanda Karaganov, Baked Potato Soup

Since 1989 The Abney Foundation has been providing resources to Tri-County’s students, faculty, and staff to help them achieve their educational goals.

No other foundation, individual, or company has contributed so generously to the Foundation. The Foundation sponsored the Annual Abney Day on September 16. The event was designed to show appreciation for the College’s largest contributor to date. “It’s great to receive a gift but even greater to Dr. Lisa McWherter, executive director of the The Abney Foundation, give a gift,” said Dr. Lisa center, is pictured with a group of Abney Scholars who attended a September 16 appreciation luncheon. McWherter, executive director of The Abney Foundation. “When you have a chance, make someone else’s opportunity possible,” she told the Abney scholars who attended the luncheon. “We are grateful to you and for you. Continue to carry the baton of gratitude as you go forward.” left: Emma Robinson, coordinator of student resource programs at TCTC, was a recipient of an Abney Foundation scholarship when she was a student at the college in 1991. “Your scholarship is a blessing; don’t take it for granted,” she said. Emma is pictured holding her Abney Scholar certificate.

Ten years ago, Lillian Boatwright was an honor student enrolled in AP classes at Daniel High School and, like many seniors, weighing the pros and cons of where to attend college. She had been accepted at multiple in- and out-of-state four-year universities, but ultimately conversations with her parents led her to opt for Tri-County Technical College, just three miles from her home in Clemson. Thinking back on her decision, she says there isn’t just one reason why TCTC was the right choice for her.

While a student at Daniel, she took advantage of the dual enrollment classes, which gave her an introduction to TCTC and its instructors. The College’s university transfer class offerings, along with scholarships that allowed her to attend TCTC debt free, convinced her that enrolling at her local technical college was a no-brainer. “We did the math and realized I could go to TCTC at no cost and I could receive a valuable education and guidance for a seamless transition to Clemson University,” she said.

“I got the full college experience at TCTC. I moved out of my parents’ house, got an apartment and commuted to campus. My advisors, who were knowledgeable and helpful, knew my goals and made sure I took the right classes before transferring to Clemson,” said Lillian, now operations coordinator at KeyMark in Liberty.

“I don’t know that I would have survived a four-year college right out of high school. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to ask questions in class and know how to engage with faculty members for help outside of class time. TCTC is a good way to ease into college and not just jump into the deep end,” she said.

“I even made lifelong friends, whom I still keep in touch with to this day. I didn’t miss out on anything by starting college at TCTC. It was a good lead in to Clemson and college life,” she said.

That’s the message she communicates to the high school students she interacts with in her community service project endeavors and the TCTC students who have been interns at KeyMark. She says she identifies with these students, most of whom are juggling multiple priorities and who rely on scholarships that make their education possible. Corporate donor KeyMark is sponsoring six scholarship recipients this year.

“I’m proud to say that I graduated from Tri-County debt free with a LIFE scholarship and a Foundation scholarship,” said Lillian.

After three semesters at TCTC she transferred to Clemson in 2013. At the end of her junior year, she gave birth to daughter, Claire, now 7, and took a break from college to focus on motherhood and later began a job search to support her and her daughter.

She wasn’t sure what was ahead until her mother, a former teacher and now a media specialist at Liberty High School, came home from work and handed her a business card for Jim Wanner, CEO at KeyMark. Wanner was the guest speaker at the high school’s career day and Mrs. Lillian was impressed with his comments and his company. She urged Lillian to look at the website. “I applied, interviewed and was hired within two weeks,” said Lillian.

“I really wanted the job. I enjoyed meeting the interview team and everyone at the organization,” she said.

She began working at the front desk and later transitioned to the sales team and then the marketing department. “It was a great way to learn about the many different aspects of the company,” she said.

“What started as a job for a single mother, turned into a career I truly value. I really love working here. I feel heard and valued and I know that what I do matters. I still get excited about coming to work every day. I didn’t think it would turn into a long-term career that day when I interviewed. I was a single parent looking for a job. But it is so much more than that now.”

Two years ago, she went back and finished the bachelor’s degree online through Coker College. Coker offered a business degree completely online which fit into her schedule. With her TCTC and CU credits, she just needed two semesters at Coker and was able to continue working full time and taking two to three classes a semester. In 2019 she earned a bachelor of science in business administration and management and maintained dean’s list status.

That same year she joined the Pickens County Board of Voter Registration and Elections and other community service opportunities followed. “I’m grateful that KeyMark allows me to engage in community service and engagement projects,” she said. This year she was named to the board of the Upstate Conservation Trust and serves on its executive committee. She also serves on the City of Clemson’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Earlier this year she was nominated for a Jefferson Award for her public service and was selected by the Multiplying Good Board to be a member of its 2021 Upstate ChangeMakers class. ChangeMakers are a distinguished group of community leaders in the Upstate who have demonstrated a commitment to service and the potential to move South Carolina forward.

She says daughter Claire is the impetus for her passion for making her community a better place. “She pushes me to do good things. We have conversations about what she wants to be when she grows up. It’s light-hearted now but I always mention TCTC in the conversation. I will be the parent who recommends TCTC because of what it did for me.” Lillian Boatwright