Three University of West Georgia students recently donated $2,000 for student scholarships to the West Georgia Technical College Foundation.

Jonathan Bell, Tiffany Ramroop, and Emily Phillippi are members of the Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program through the UWG Richards College of Business.

One of the program’s tenants is giving back to the community. Bell, Ramroop, and Phillippi decided to give WGTC and raised the $2000 donation.

“We can’t thank these students enough for offering such a generous donation to the WGTC Foundation,” said WGTC President Steve G. Daniel in a press release. “This is just one more example of the collaborative effort between the UWG, WGTC, and our community partners such as Southwire, as we all strive to make our communities better. I would like for Jonathan, Tiffany and Emily to know how much we appreciate them for their thoughtful and meaningful contribution, which will benefit students in need.”

The Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program is a select group of aspiring business leaders who attend UWG. Several high-achieving students from each graduating class are selected for the program, which allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration in economics, finance, management, marketing, or real estate, as well as a masters of business administration and a certificate of sustainability, in four years.

The students also get to spend 30 hours per week working alongside Southwire employees, which gives them hands-on experience as they earn their degrees.

“We are so grateful for the generosity that Jonathan, Tiffany and Emily have shown,” West Georgia Tech Vice President of Institutional Advancement Kim Learnard said in a press release. “The funds will have a major impact in the lives of local residents who are struggling to make ends meet as they attend WGTC. I am so thankful that they have a vision for how valuable an education can be, but also for how difficult it can be for those who are struggling financially. The WGTC Foundation is committed to doing all that we can to help our students overcome those obstacles. We could not do it without the contributions from our communities such as the generous and unexpected one that we received from these students.”

Bell, Ramroop and Phillippi raised the funds through fundraising efforts and by contacting various civic clubs and organizations throughout the area.

“We could not have raised the money without significant buy-in from local community leaders and organizations,” Bell said. “This community is a caring community that wants to help others in any way that they can, and we were fortunate enough to be able to tap into some of those resources. I can’t think of a better recipient of these funds than the WGTC Foundation.”

Bell said that he also wanted to recognize Kelsey Kennedy and Sara Isbell who assisted in the early stages of the fundraising.

"Emily, Johnny and Tiffany make a great team,” said Southwire Human Resources Director and co-director of the SSBHP Mandy Baeumel in a press release. “In their first year, SSBHP students are challenged with a way to give back to their local communities. Because so many students could lack the financial assistance needed to attend college, these young adults decided to give back in a way that would allow individuals to attend West Georgia Technical College with a little less burden than would have otherwise existed. I am incredibly proud of them for their efforts in raising funds to help other students in need, and I know their efforts will go far.”