El Paso Community College (EPCC) is grateful to announce that it is receiving a staggering $30 million-dollar donation from renowned philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. EPCC is one institution chosen by Scott and husband Dan Jewett to receive a portion of the $2.7 billion in charitable gifts announced on Tuesday.
The contribution to EPCC is the largest the college has ever received. It is also the largest amount given by Scott and Jewett to a community college in Texas and the third largest to be given to a Texas higher education institution.
When asked about his reaction to the news, EPCC President Dr. William Serrata said, “It was totally unexpected. We are beyond grateful for Ms. Scott’s generosity to support education as a proven pathway to opportunity.
These funds will allow us to dramatically expand our services, helping more people in our community find the path to their best lives through EPCC. We are excited because a gift like this – the largest ever received by EPCC – positively impacts the lives and prosperity of our entire community.”
“We chose to make relatively large gifts to the organizations … to enable their work, and as a signal of trust and encouragement, to them and to others.” Scott, explained in in a blog post on Medium when she announced the distribution of funds.
These funds will be used to empower students and transform their lives through education. “We appreciate Ms. Scott’s confirmation of the work that we are doing. For more than fifty years, EPCC has been improving our community by increasing educational attainment,” Brian Haggerty, EPCC Board Chair said. “As the institution that has been awarding the most degrees to Hispanic students for more than a decade, we are making a difference. A gift like this shows that other people see this too, and that is really gratifying.”
Scott signaled her trust in EPCC, and other organizations funded in another way; the funds are unrestricted, and organizations can allocate them however they choose.
“This is a great vote of confidence and we will be wise stewards who will make prudent and well-researched decisions on how to use this funding to best serve our students and community,” Serrata said. “Ultimately this investment will ensure that El Paso Community College continues to make an impact on our students now and into the future.”
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