For practically his entire life, Malcolm Smith has dreamed of becoming a mechanic.
But less than one week before Southwestern Community College’s fall semester was set to begin, the Franklin resident wasn’t sure it’d be possible for him to take the next necessary step toward achieving his goal.
“I was on the edge of whether I’d be able to come here or not because of financial struggles,” recalled Smith, who’s 18 years old. “But then I got a call about five days before my first class saying, ‘You got the scholarship. Congratulations.’”
The scholarship Smith’s referring to is part of the single-largest scholarship distribution for students in one academic program in SCC’s history. The Daniel May Automotive Systems Technology Scholarship Fund is providing $10,000 to each of 10 incoming automotive students at Southwestern this fall.
That covers a lot more than tuition for students pursuing two-year associate degrees at Southwestern, where tuition and fees are a combined $1,392 for a full-time student in the fall and spring semesters.
“It means I can buy my own tools now, and pay for my books and classes,” said Jeremy Fink, who’s originally from Winston-Salem but currently lives in Cullowhee. “It’s going to help out a whole lot.”
The family of Daniel May has been a longtime, low-key supporter of SCC students.
The May family has provided more than $487,000 of financial support since launching a finish-line scholarship program in 2019 to help students who’d completed more than 50-percent of their required college credit to complete their degrees.
David Myers, who has served as SCC’s Automotive Systems Technology Program Coordinator since 2011, said the May scholarship opportunity came at exactly the right time – not just for aspiring students, but for a community and region that is in dire need of well-trained, qualified mechanics.
“For some of these students, it’s the only chance they’ll ever get to go to school because some of them didn’t even sign up until they knew they’d received the scholarship,” Myers said. “This scholarship was the difference between school and a career – or no career. This is probably the biggest help to a program you could have. Being able to get students in who would otherwise not attend. Now they are going to attend and move forward, and get them into a field that there’s such a workforce shortage in right now.”
The Edwin and Jeanette May Foundation has been a longtime supporter of education in Western North Carolina. Mr. Daniel May prioritized community and education throughout his life. A veteran of the United State Navy, Daniel May founded Mayco Plastics with his father and brother upon his return from military service. Daniel May helmed Mayco's automotive interior division, in a time of exponential growth. He was a lifelong learner with avid interests in computing, design, photography, music, and woodworking.
For more information about the Daniel May Automotive Systems Technology Scholarship Fund – or to learn more about how to support Southwestern students through the SCC Foundation – contact Evan Hatch at 828.339.4241 or e_hatch@SouthwesternCC.edu.
To learn more about the Automotive Systems Technology program at SCC, visit www.SouthwesternCC.edu or contact David Myers at 828.339.4237 or d_myers@SouthwesternCC.edu.
