On Saturday, October 24, 2009, the Miles Community College Endowment will be hosting the MCC Endowment Main Event, “Night of Knowledge.” The night’s festivities will include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at 6:00pm, dinner and a short presentation with a variety show to follow at 7:00pm. The talent for the variety show will be Miles Community College students and alumni. Art work will be displayed by MCC Alumni. Tickets for the event are $75.00 per person.

This event will benefit the Miles Community College Endowment Student Scholarship Fund. The College has many students that are in need of financial assistance to help them on the path of bettering their lives. Here is a story of one of those students:

Kathy is a 33-year-old single mother of two boys, ages 5 months and 4 years. She has been unemployed for the past year and caring for her father who has been recovering from colon cancer surgery. It has been a full time job helping her father recuperate and taking care of her young children. Kathy has been taking on these duties while getting her strength back from contracting mononucleosis and receiving an infection from a horse inflicted injury.

In the midst of her busy life, she knew the deadline was approaching to sign up for college. If she was going to acquire a nursing degree, she needed to start now. She knew entering college was a necessity for creating a better future for her family. She is now a student enrolled at Miles Community College and travels 80 miles one way to get to school Monday through Friday.

Kathy’s sister and brother-in-law have helped her by providing a vehicle for her to drive since her vehicle was incapacitated after hitting a bull. Without her family’s support, she would not be here each day attending class and working towards her nursing degree. It was also a relief for Kathy when she was awarded work study at MCC, which helps with some needed income.

The biggest challenge she now faces is finding a place to live in Miles City, especially with bad weather right around the corner. Even with all the obstacles, Kathy believes that if she wants a better future, she needs to further her education. She understands that it will all be worth it because she will be helping herself, her family, and perhaps in a few years, you will be the one she helps in the Emergency Room or doctor’s office where she will be a nurse.

This is not an uncommon story among the students attending Miles Community College. College is an adventure, even in the best of circumstances, but through life’s ups and downs every little advantage can catapult a student towards their goal. Every dollar you donate is a dollar MCC can put towards making someone’s life more productive. If you are interested in being a sponsor or would like to purchase tickets, please contact Brandi Gray, MCC Endowment Executive Director, at 874-6288 or endowment@milescc.edu.