Original article published on The Fort Morgan Times website on January 5,  2024. Written by Zant Reyez.

Morgan Community College received $2.9 million in grant funding from the United States Department of Education through the Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI) program, the school announced in a press release this week.

“This grant adds much-needed services to MCC’s programs, providing better and direct linkage from students’ education to their careers,” said Dr. Curt Freed, MCC President, in the release. “Through this funding, MCC will open a career center and hire additional staff to serve students and strengthen the connection between the college and the vast network of employers throughout the region. The program also allows MCC to provide more robust services to English as a Second Language (ESL) students.”

Per the release, the grant funding started on Oct. 1, 2023, and will run through Sept. 30, 2028.  The grant program, referred to as MCC Innovating Careers, Access, and Student Achievement, or MI CASA for short, provides additional staff and services to help students improve their readiness for careers and/or heighten their success in transferring to a four-year institution. This is MCC’s second Title V grant since achieving Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status in 2018.

Victor Villalobos and Danny Ramirez, students enrolled in MCC’s Electromechanical Technology Program, apply skills learned to connect motor controls using an ice cube relay, starter, switches and indicating lights to the motor pictured.

“As the Director of the Title V: MI CASA grant, I am thrilled to lead this transformative initiative at Morgan Community College,” stated Cora Rhode in the release. “This grant empowers us to build bridges between education and careers, fostering student success and community growth. Together, we are shaping a future where everyone’s journey is marked by opportunity, support, and achievement. With a dedicated focus on diversity and inclusion, we are committed to enhancing ESL resources, ensuring every student, regardless of background, receives the support needed to thrive in their educational and career pursuits.”

The grant funding includes $285,000 toward an endowment that, when matched with local dollars, will go toward supporting students at MCC in the future. The endowment will go untouched for twenty years, maturing to approximately $1.5 million to be used for scholarships.

The trend of MCC receiving funding continues as the MCC Foundation received $1 million from the Eugene V. Doty Trust last month to establish the Gene Doty Health Scholarships and Programs Endowment.

Read the original article published on The Fort Morgan Times website.