(L to R): Dr. Pat Huber, NRCC President; Thomas Coffey, NRCC ACCE alumnus; Chris McKlarney, Gile County Administrator; Bud Foster, Lunch Pail Defense Foundation
New River Community College’s Access to Community College Education (ACCE) program is celebrating 10 years of providing high school graduates in the New River Valley with a debt-free college education.
ACCE, and economic development public/private partnership, makes college available debt-free to high school and home-schooled graduates by funding NRCC tuition for two years.
In celebration of the 10-year anniversary, the NRCC Education Foundation hosted an evening to celebrate the future with the partners who have helped ensure the program’s success on Wednesday, May 29 on NRCC’s campus in Dublin.
The event included the premiere of the new Blue Ridge PBS documentary on ACCE created by Buzz4good. Attendees heard from students, administrators, stakeholders and community members about their role in ACCE and what makes it successful.
After viewing the documentary, Bruce Bryan with 5Points Creative facilitated a panel of ACCE supporters including Thomas Coffey, former ACCE student (NRCC Class of 2019) and current VCOM student; Bud Foster, ACCE Investor through Lunch Pail Defense Foundation; Dr. Pat Huber, NRCC President; and Chris McKlarney, Giles County Administrator.
“ACCE is more than an educational program; it’s a reflection of who we truly are in the New River Valley. Our ACCE program is an incredible example of community partnership and vision. Each locality, through both public and private investment, has committed through both donations and public support to the success of our next generation,” said Angie Covey, NRCC Education Foundation Executive Director.
“Since the inception of ACCE, more 1,600 students have received tuition assistance at NRCC. In exchange, those students have given back 175,000 hours of service to nonprofit organizations in the New River Valley. With ACCE, everyone wins—our students, their families, and our communities.”
Buzz4good produces weekly episodes featuring a nonprofit in order to learn about the good the organization does in the community it serves. The entire ACCE documentary is available to view online at https://buzz4good.com/portfolio/nrcc/.
New River Community College
