FRALINS FUND FUTURES - Virginia Western Community College

Back row left to right: Co-Trustees of the Horace G. Fralin Charitable Trust Mr. W. HeywoodFralin and son Mr. William H. Fralin, Jr., Virginia’s Community Colleges Chancellor Dr.Glenn DuBois. Front row left to right: Virginia Western President Dr. Robert H. Sandeland Virginia Western students—Mei Bandy, who is studying mechanical engineeringand is a Beverly Day Williamson, Jr. Endowed Scholarship recipient; Elie Muzungu,who is studying information systems technology; and Jessica Astacio, who is studyinginformation systems technology and is an ITT Exelis Annual Scholarship recipient.Virginia’s Community Colleges Chancellor Dr. Glenn DuBois, Virginia Western LocalBoard Chair Forrest Jones, Virginia Western President Dr. Robert H. Sandel, Horace G.Fralin Charitable Trust Co-Trustee Mr. W. Heywood Fralin, Virginia Western EducationalFoundation Board of Directors College Access Campaign Co-Chair Mr. WarnerDalhouse, Horace G. Fralin Charitable Trust Co-Trustee Mr. William H. Fralin, Jr., VirginiaWestern Educational Foundation President Mr. Ed Hall, Virginia Western EducationalFoundation Board of Directors College Access Campaign Co-Chair John Williamson,and State Board for Community Colleges member William H. Talley, IIIWilliam Fralin also served in the Virginia House of Delegatesfrom 2004-10, and is director emeritus of the VirginiaWestern Educational Foundation Board of Directors.“With our new century well under way, there is nothingthat is a more important differentiator for westernVirginia than an educated workforce ready to accept theemployment opportunities of tomorrow,” William Fralinsaid. “Horace always believed in quality higher educationand wanted to do big things for the Valley. We think thisgift fulfills both goals.”The Horace G. Fralin Charitable Trust’s $5 million gift toVirginia Western is the largest ever made to the VirginiaWestern Educational Foundation, nearly doubling itsassets to $10.9 million. The gift single-handedly movesthe Educational Foundation from the 16th-largestfoundation among the 24 in the Virginia CommunityCollege System to fourth. This is the largest donationdedicated to scholarships in the history of the VirginiaCommunity College System and one of the largest forcommunity college scholarships in the country.The unprecedented increase in scholarships, which willdouble according to Virginia Western Vice Presidentfor Institutional Advancement Dr. Angela M. GarciaFalconetti, will help more students prepare for rapidlygrowing career fields and enhance the local workforce.“The support of the Fralins is an endorsement of VirginiaWestern’s growing importance in our region,” Falconettisaid. “The College impacts the lives of nearly 13,000students annually, paving a pathway to lifelong successthrough higher education.”Virginia Western trains the Roanoke Valley’s futureworkforce. As is the nationwide trend, the Roanoke Valleyis experiencing growth in jobs that require additionaleducation and technical training after high school.Virginia Western addresses the needs of the local workforceby providing associate degree and certificate programs inall the region’s most sought-after fields. Associate degreestudents have guaranteed admission transfer options tomore than 33 in-state four-year colleges and universities.Maintaining the second-largest enrollment, second onlyto Virginia Tech, of postsecondary institutions in theRoanoke region, 85 percent of Virginia Western’s graduatesremain in the Roanoke area. Of the current student body,65 percent are enrolled in programs that fill the workforceneeds of the region.“University officials have often stated that transfer studentsgenerally perform better than students who enroll on afirst-year basis, mainly because they are frequently moremotivated,” Heywood Fralin said. “Virginia WesternCommunity College does a great job of educatingstudents who transfer to four-year universities. Those whogo through its rigorous programs will be able to secureemployment in the Roanoke Valley and will be futureleaders.”12 • Summer 2013 Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation • Volume 5 • Issue 1