Saint Paul’s College reaches fund-raising milestone

Feb. 29, 2012 - PRLog -- Saint Paul’s College (SPC) CEO and Interim President, Eddie N. Moore, Jr. announced today that SPC has successfully met the requirements of a major challenge grant and is headed into the home stretch of a fund-raising campaign that will determine the future of the historic Southside Virginia college.

“We’re grateful for the support that Saint Paul’s has received since we launched the ‘Now and Forever’ campaign last fall,” said Moore. “We have raised $1.5 million in donations and pledges so far, on the way to our goal of raising $5 million dollars before June 2012.  We must raise that amount to keep Saint Paul’s open to serve future generations of deserving students.”

Moore said he is encouraged that donors helped SPC to secure the full amount of a half-million dollar challenge grant from the Batten Educational Achievement Fund of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation.  The challenge grant was established thanks to the generosity of Virginia philanthropist Jane Batten.

Moore called on alumni and friends of Saint Paul’s College to step forward. “We have interest from other major donors to create another challenge grant for the community and we hope to make an announcement of a new challenge in the very near future,” said Moore.

SPC’s unique educational offering:

Saint Paul’s is the only college in Virginia to offer a Single Parent Support System Program, which provides a three-year residential degree program and childhood education for single parents and their families.

“This program made it possible for me to attend college,” said Saint Paul’s senior Courtney Hagans.”   Hagans, an English major from Hampton, Va., entered Saint Paul’s with her son Camryn in 2008. “I love the fact that my son is learning the importance of education at such a young age.  Sometimes when people ask him what grade he is in, he replies, ‘I’m in College’,” says Hagans with a chuckle.  

“If Saint Paul’s no longer existed, the world would lose an institution that has made tremendous contributions to our society.  Saint Paul’s is helping me to become a productive citizen.  I’ll always be grateful that at Saint Paul’s it doesn’t matter where you came from; what matters is where you are going,” added Hagans.

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Founded in 1888 and affiliated with the Episcopal Church, Saint Paul’s College is a private, historically black, accredited, four-year coeducational and culturally diverse liberal arts institution of higher learning located on a beautiful 183-acre campus in the rolling hills of Brunswick County in Southern Virginia. Saint Paul’s offers baccalaureate degrees in the arts and sciences, teacher education endorsements, professional and pre-professional programs, and the only Single Parent Support System program for degree-seeking single parents in Virginia. Saint Paul’s offers an accelerated degree program for working adults in four locations across Virginia including Richmond, Farmville, Franklin and Lawrenceville.