CLC News The news and events from Central Lakes College
By Jon Aga, Associate Vice President of Advancement and Foundation Executive Director
Central Lakes College has a long and storied history of building futures for the students who come here to learn, explore and develop both personally and professionally. This spring marked the 85th year of college graduations in Brainerd, dating back to when the first 19 students graduated from Brainerd State Junior College in 1940.
As our Brainerd and Staples campuses prepare to welcome the newest class of students into the Raider family in late August, it is important to pause and reflect on the role that the greater CLC community has to play in their coming journeys. Every future shaped within our walls is molded in part by the generosity of an ever-growing number of alumni, donors, volunteers and supporters who want our students to succeed.
It is through the CLC Foundation that our community pours its support back into our student body. From annual and endowed scholarships to in-kind donations of learning materials and equipment, the contributions entrusted to the CLC Foundation lay the philanthropic groundwork upon which our students’ futures are built.
The Foundation is stronger than ever. This past year has seen over $2 million in public support contributed to the college through the Foundation, split nearly evenly between in-kind contributions and cash donations and grants.
Our endowed funds have grown through donations and market growth to over $11 million in assets – one of the largest endowed funds among all two-year schools in the Minnesota State system. As a result, over $500,000 in scholarship dollars will be available to students this year.
These dollars, in concert with a system-wide tuition freeze and Minnesota’s North Star Promise Scholarship program, mean that this fall’s incoming students will have unprecedented levels of support as they pursue higher education.
The Foundation goes beyond just supporting tuition, but the entire cost of attendance. The Foundation’s Parkway Apartments offers nearby and affordable student housing. Further, the Foundation supports CLC Food Pantries and Random Acts of Kindness Funds, which support students’ basic needs. We also support enriching academic and athletic environments for our students and promoting our campus culture of caring.
Through the Central Lakes College Foundation, our community can transform the lives of every student who walks through our doors. We invite you to join us in building futures.
To learn more about the Central Lakes College Foundation, or how you can make an impact, contact Jon Aga, Associate Vice President of Advancement, at jon.aga@clcmn.edu
