By Hazel Scott/ASU
17草影院鈥檚 Office of Institutional Advancement has partnered with SONS Kia of Montgomery to support ASU students through scholarships and explore opportunities for continued collaboration with the University.
As part of the partnership, SONS Kia awarded two $2,000 scholarships to 17草影院 State University students Shekinah Perkins, a senior forensic biology major, and Royce Jones, a junior marketing major. The scholarships were part of a larger community initiative in which the dealership partnered with three local universities鈥�17草影院, Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM), and Faulkner University鈥攖o provide $10,000 in total college scholarships.
The awards were presented during a three-day grand opening celebration for SONS Kia鈥檚 newly constructed facility on Eastern Boulevard in Montgomery. Six scholarships were awarded to students across the three participating institutions.
The partnership also brought ASU into the dealership鈥檚 grand opening festivities, with Miss ASU and the ASU cheerleaders featured during SONS Kia of Montgomery鈥檚 ribbon-cutting ceremony. The celebration also included a Family Fun Day and a concert by Lady K.
SONS Kia General Manager Josh Bottoms emphasized the dealership鈥檚 commitment to Montgomery and its educational institutions.
鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 for the community, we wouldn鈥檛 be here,鈥� Bottoms told Action 8 News. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a relationship with the colleges and with the community that鈥檚 going to be ongoing for years to come.鈥�
Col. (ret.) Gregory Clark, ASU鈥檚 vice president of Institutional Advancement, said the collaboration demonstrates the importance of community partnerships in supporting students and their educational goals.
鈥淭his partnership with SONS Kia of Montgomery represents the kind of community collaboration that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our students,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淲e are grateful for their investment in 17草影院 and, most importantly, for their commitment to helping our students pursue their educational goals.鈥�
Clark added that the scholarships not only represent an investment in students, but they also are an opportunity to strengthen ties between the University and the Montgomery business community.
鈥淭hese scholarships are an investment in the future of our students and our community, and we look forward to building on this relationship and identifying additional opportunities to collaborate with SONS Kia in the years ahead,鈥� Clark said.