John and Jo Williams
John and Jo Williams have been advocates of the North Carolina Community College System for many years. Jo was born and grew up in Blowing Rock, NC as the daughter of a teacher and coach with 33 years in the public education system. John was born and grew up in Chapel Hill, NC surrounded by excellent educational opportunities in the public-school system as well as the University.
After both graduated from Carolina, their careers took them to Raleigh, Greenville, and then to the Sandhills in 1987. John’s career in banking and his community involvement with the Chamber of Commerce as well as other economic development endeavors further emphasized the importance of supporting economic development by providing a competent workforce in a myriad of career paths. Sandhills Community College has long been at the forefront of providing the opportunity for a high-quality, accessible education for basic skills and literacy as well as occupational and pre-baccalaureate education. Dr. Raymond Stone and Dr. John Dempsey have epitomized what an asset Sandhills Community College is to the population of Moore and surrounding counties.
After being away for sixteen years, John and Jo returned to the Sandhills in 2015. John has always been an exceptional cook and this interest led them both to the Sandhills Culinary & Pastry Arts Program. Involvement with this program led to further involvement with the entire College and all its programs. Sandhills Community College continues to be a shining star in our community. The establishment of the “John & Jo Williams Sandhills Promise Endowed Scholarship Fund” will allow students to continue to work toward their dreams by providing financial assistant to further their education. We are most happy to play a small part in continuing SCC’s mission and tradition of excellence in our community.
Impact
The John & Jo Williams Sandhills Promise Endowed Scholarship Fund is awarded to the following students:
Selection Criteria: 1) Award to a deserving student enrolling in any degree program at SCC;
Preference given to Sandhills Promise Students Meeting the Program Criteria: 1) Resident of Moore or Hoke County; 2) High school graduate (public and private), or registered home-school equivalent, who will attend SCC as a degree-seeking curriculum student the fall semester following his or her high school graduation. 3) Successfully completed at least four dual-enrollment courses through the Career and College Promise program at SCC with a GPA of 2.0 or better by the time of high school graduation. 4) Complete the FAFSA (deadline in July) and SCC Scholarship (February 28th deadline) application process annually. Funding from federal and state grants, scholarships, and outside funding must be exhausted before this scholarship is applied.