WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — A leading food service and support services company has created an endowed scholarship for students in the School of Business & Hospitality at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Compass Group North America, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, has established the scholarship fund, from which $5,000 awards will be made annually.
To be eligible for the Compass Group North America Scholarship, a student must be enrolled full time in Penn College’s School of Business & Hospitality; have successfully completed two semesters with a GPA of 3.0 or higher; have a home residency in Lycoming, Clinton, Union, Tioga, Bradford, Sullivan, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland or Potter counties; have demonstrated financial need; or have been a recipient of a scholarship from the fund in prior years.
“We are proud to partner with Compass Group as they establish this scholarship,” said Kyle A. Smith, executive director of the Penn College Foundation. “It is just one example of the many ways they have taken a leadership role in support of the School of Business & Hospitality and the college as a whole. Their scholarship — and the direct impact it has on our students — is greatly appreciated.”
Chris Kowalewski, chief growth officer for Compass Group North America, is a member of both the Corporate Advisory Board and the Hospitality Advisory Committee at Penn College.
Compass provides catering to special events such as the U.S. Open tennis tournament and the Academy Awards. Compass Group also was the official catering services supplier for the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
“We are thrilled to partner with the School of Business & Hospitality in such a way that will benefit the students, the school and, ultimately, the hospitality industry,” Kowalewski said. “As the hospitality provider for Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby — for which Penn College has lent its talent for the past 12 years — we have come to know the students and faculty quite well, and the school’s commitment to education through the application of hands-on and practical learning is one that perfectly aligns with Compass’ mission, vision and guiding principles.”
Those interested in contributing to a Penn College scholarship — or establishing one — can mail a donation to the Penn College Foundation, One College Avenue, Williamsport, PA 17701; visit www.pct.edu/give/scholarship; or call the Institutional Advancement Office toll-free at 866-GIVE-2-PC (866-448-3272).
For more about the college, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.