2004 Dove Gives Back Program Recipient:
Southwest Tennessee Community College

Southwest Tennessee Community College offers a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). Located in Memphis, STCC was selected as the first recipient of the “Dove Gives Back (DGB)” award because of its combination of student financial need and faculty enthusiasm for finding solutions to this need.

Under DGB, each STCC nursing student starting in fall of 2004 or spring of 2005 will receive one full school uniform from Dove, valued at over $100 per student.

Eighty-five percent of STCC’s 11,316 students receive financial aid, including 65% of the 235 students enrolled in the ADN program. Many of these full-time students also work full time to help cover school and home expenses. With a median age of 36 years old, most STCC students are not supported by their parents and in fact must provide support to their own families while training for their new career in nursing.

The median U.S. household income in 2002* was $42,409; the median for Tennessee was $37,281; and for Memphis it was $30,729.

“It feels great to allocate some of our profits to help schools like Southwest Tennessee Community College and the greater Memphis community, and I hope to enlarge this gift program for more schools in the future,” says Susan Wiczynski, president and owner of Dove Professional Apparel.

A few months into DGB, the STCC nursing program will provide testimonials from its nursing students about what they intend to do with their new medical careers. There will be pictures and faculty commentary as well. Check back soon!

*Source: U.S. Census Bureau