Local Family donates $100,000 to Williston State College
Posted: Feb 06 2015
Williston-January 2015. A large anonymous donation will be making a difference at Williston State College this spring. A local family, who preferred to remain anonymous, donated $100,000 to Williston State College for their technical programs. According to Terry Olson, Executive Director of WSC Foundation, "The family wanted the donation to be practical, to go for something that these departments would have trouble getting with their budgets and to fall outside any grant specifications." The $100,000 gift has been equally distributed between TrainND and the diesel, welding, nursing, and agriculture departments.
TrainND's donation has been allocated for the completion of their building project. Slated for May 2015, TrainND's new 19,740 square foot training and educational center will provide training for North Dakota businesses ranging from energy and construction companies to transportation and health care. TrainND Northwest CEO Deanette Piesik stated, "The new Workforce Training Center building has been a dream for many years. We are very excited to have all of the Williston staff together in one location where we will have access to all of the training equipment that has been donated by oil and gas companies over the past ten years."
The diesel program will be using this donation to fill in the gaps. Brian Rencher, Transportation Instructor and TAACCCT Grant Director, stated that "We looked at what equipment the TAACCCT grant had purchased and based on that, we determined how to best use this donation. Updating the tools and equipment will keep WSC students trained in current standards and that will help students improve their training experience."
The welding department's enrollment had been capped at 11 students because of equipment limitations. The TAACCCT grant provided funds for welding machinery and booths, but not welders and torches. The donation will allow for new welders and torch setups to be used for these new booths. Shelley Rencher, Welding Instructor, explained, "This will allow for an increase in the number of students the class can accommodate, ultimately increasing the number of graduates and the amount of welders in our community."
The nursing department plans on using this donation for high-performing wireless simulators and accessories that will help with their pediatric rotations. Janet Johnson, MSN, RN Nursing Coordinator feels that the donation will bring Williston State College up-to-speed with all of the other colleges in the Dakota Nursing Program.
The donation for the Agriculture department will be allocated when a full-time agriculture instructor is hired.
With community support like this anonymous donation, Williston State College can continue to be, Where the people make the difference. Williston State College, and WSC Foundation wish to thank this generous family.
For other information regarding Williston State and any of these departments, visit www.willistonstate.edu, call 1.888.863.9455, or stop by 1410 University Avenue, Williston, ND.
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TAACCCT provides community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education with funds to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs that can be completed in two years or less, are suited for workers who are eligible for training under the TAA for Workers program, and prepare program participants for employment in high-wage, high-skill occupations.