Foundation

Community involvement has been the cornerstone upon which Southern State has built its long tradition of success. The Southern State Foundation Board of Trustees gives unselfishly of its time and talent. We value their commitment and support of Southern State’s mission of ensuring that all people have education and enrichment opportunities to improve their quality of life and standard of living.

• Ms. Bambi Baughn — Fayette County
• Dr. Mark Brooker — Clinton County
• Mr. Jon Linkous — Brown County
• Mr. Louis Mays — Brown County
• Mr. Dan Mongold — Clinton County
• Mrs. Sandy Mongold — Clinton County
• Ms. Sheri Smith — Highland County

Ex Officio Members

• Ms. Rachel Cummmings — College Board Chairperson
• Dr. Nicole Roades — President
• Dr. Steven Hinshaw — Vice President of Financial Services
• Mr. Tom Payton — Faculty Senate Representative
• Ms. Robin Tholen — Secretary

When you give a gift to Southern State through the Foundation, you become part of the great work the college is doing. The college’s ability to continually foster student success depends on support from our alumni and friends, foundations, corporations and other valued partners, like you. Through your support, students will continue to receive the education and skills needed to make a difference in our local workforce and economy.

By making a gift to the college, you will help students succeed by providing scholarships, advanced equipment and enhanced educational programs.

Gifts to the Foundation may come as bequests (money, stock, real estate—usually specified in a will), life insurance, planned giving programs or as memorials. All gifts accepted by the Foundation are tax-deductible within the regulations established by the Internal Revenue Service.

Ways to Give

To make a donation to Southern State's Foundation, please see options below.

Donate Online

Donate by Mail

Personal checks can be made out to Southern State Community College Foundation and mailed directly to:

• Southern State Community College Foundation
• 100 Hobart Drive
• Hillsboro, OH 45133

Employee Giving

The commitment among the Southern State faculty and staff to providing accessible, affordable, high quality education is unparalleled. Many members of the Southern State family choose to demonstrate this commitment through the Employee Contribution Program. It’s easy and convenient. Employees can choose to do one-time gifts or setup a directed payroll deduction both of which are tax-deductible within the regulations of the Internal Revenue Service.

• Employee Foundation Contribution Form

Scholarships often pay tuition and fees and in some cases help students purchase textbooks or tools required for courses while some assist for temporary financial emergencies. Scholarships are often targeted to students with financial need and are often based on a variety of criteria including academic excellence, leadership capacity, program enrollment, community service, financial need and a variety of other criteria.

Establishing a scholarship through the Southern State Foundation is an investment in the future of our region. All such gifts are designed to serve students attending Southern State Community College and can be restricted or endowed to meet specific criteria established by the donor. Establishing such a scholarship fund is easy and accomplished through consultation with the Foundation’s Executive Director. The Foundation also appreciates unrestricted gifts which fund the Foundation Scholars program.

Annually the Foundation awards nearly $50,000 in scholarships to deserving students. Applications are available online or through the Office of Financial Aid. Generally, the scholarships are awarded on an annual basis with the exception of a few specialty funds.

To view a list of the available Foundation Scholarships view the Scholarships page.

Apply for Scholarships

You can apply for all of the available scholarships at the same time through one online application!

• Online Scholarship Application

Like scholarships, program support gifts encourage student success through financial support of extended programming, capital improvements, student support services and cultural literacy. Together, these initiatives are investments in our community and in student success.

• Cindy Bloom Memorial Fund
• Cynthia "Cindy" Bloom worked for 25 years at Southern State Community College in the Financial Aid office, where she offered an infectious welcome and warm smile to all who passed by. Many in the community knew Cindy for her love for sign language and gift of imagery that she shared with her hands, since the age of 18 when she began working as an interpreter for the deaf. She was a devoted Christian and enjoyed cooking, camping, reading, working in her flower garden, singing and riding with her husband on the motorcycle. She never knew a stranger and always offered an infectious personality that could brighten any room. She had a deep compassion and love for helping SSCC students in need, making them feel comfortable and also for providing well-presented and delicious food to comfort and bring joy to those she loved. The purpose of this fund is to foster a sense of belonging and to bring comfort and joy to SSCC students and the SSCC community as a whole.

• Elmer & Helen Reed Fund (Health Sciences)
• Elmer Reed served as one of the first trustees of the newly formed Southern State Community College. Mr. Reed represented Fayette County from 1976 through 1988. He and his wife, Helen, remained highly interested in the progress of the new college and were particularly interested in the nursing programs that were developed and offered. Their interest in the program was clearly demonstrated as they left a major portion of their estate to support those programs in whatever way the college deemed appropriate. The estate is the largest gift ever received by Southern State.

• Jo Anne and Glenn Jacobson Memorial Fund
• This fund was created to honor the Jacobson Family and specifically, to memorialize Nursing faculty member and friend of Southern State, Mrs. Jo Anne Jacobson. Jo Anne's life epitomized the qualities of character, attitude, excellence, competency, and conduct and believed that those entering the nursing profession should demonstrate the highest level of professionalism and integrity. It is the desire of the Jacobson family to extend learning for students so they too can integrate these qualities in their education and professional endeavors. Through this fund, students are provided required educational resources which speak to professionalism.

• Kevin and Diane Boys Fund for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (Professional Development)
• During his 43-year career serving students pre-kindergarten through college, Dr. Kevin Boys has endeavored to honor teaching as the greatest of professions. The fund was established to honor his retirement in 2022, after serving over 12 years as the 5th president of Southern State Community College. This fund is dedicated to further develop and inspire innovation, genuine care, and excellence in teaching and support the development of other professionals who contribute to the College's mission.

• Pam & Carl Beck Fund (Professional Development)
• Pam and Carl Beck have established an endowment with proceeds restricted to staff development for Southern State. This contribution is important to the Becks as they have been instrumental in promoting the growth and success of the college. Through people like the Becks, Southern State has been able to expand the opportunities for many in our service area.

• Paul and Mae Jane Pence Trust Patron of the Arts Fund
• Paul and Mae Jane Pence, longtime residents of Hillsboro and strong supporters of the arts, left a portion of their estate to Southern State. They were frequent attendees at the various concerts and cultural events at the college and for many years worked with the community concert series. Their gift is being used to support the fine and performing arts program at the college and may be used for a variety of cultural programming and scholarships.

• Performing Arts Fund (SSCC Theatre)
• Established by the Southern State Theatre Department, this fund exists to support theatrical programming at the college.

Enjoy your Alumni Connections

Utilize the Southern State Career Resources

Searching for a job and preparing for a career can be overwhelming. Southern State offers free career services to all alumni including applicant preparation (including resume and cover letter development), preparing for the interview, and career counseling.

Visit the Southern State Job Board

Because the College serves a diverse area across southern Ohio, employers from around the region often advertise their open positions on the Career Services Job Board. Visit often as new postings arrive daily.

Transcript Requests

Whether you need them for a new job or for you next education chapter, requesting your transcripts is easy and it's free at Southern State.