Abbeville Rotary Club creates SLCC scholarship

The Rotary Club of Abbeville is memorializing a former Rotarian while also helping South Louisiana Community College students in Vermilion Parish. The organization established a $1,000 annual scholarship with the SLCC Foundation in memory of Chester Broussard.
Broussard, a Rotarian for 18 years, served more than 30 years as a biology and agriculture teacher in the Vermilion Parish School System.
“I can say from being one of his students, his class was one of the best college prep courses I ever took. He really went out of his way for students and knew how important education was to succeeding in life,” said Karl Weill, scholarship chair for the organization.
The scholarship was established in 1995 for students in technical programs, and it has been revamped for any SLCC student from Vermilion Parish who attends any of the college’s eight campuses.
A GPA of 2.5 is required.
“This scholarship is special to our membership because it pays tribute to one of our past members as well as helps students from our parish,” said Jim Russo, current president of the Rotary Club of Abbeville. “If Rotary can help in alleviating some of the financial pressures of college, we’re happy to give that opportunity to a deserving student.”
The first scholarship will be awarded for the 2015-2016 academic year.
To qualify for the Chester Broussard Memorial Scholarship, students must be residents of Vermilion Parish and plan to attend SLCC, along with meeting other standard criteria. Preference will be given to students who are also attending the college’s Gulf Area campus in Abbeville. The recipient will be determined by the college’s Scholarship Committee, comprised of faculty and staff.
Applications will be available beginning March 15 at www.solacc.edu.
SLCC is a comprehensive community college with campuses in Abbeville, Crowley, Franklin, Lafayette, New Iberia, Opelousas, St. Martinville, and Ville Platte. It serves more than 10,000 students annually.
Rotary International is an international service organization whose purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. The Rotary Club of Abbeville meets every Wednesday at the Abbeville Country Club.
For more information about SLCC’s scholarships or to establish a scholarship, contact the SLCC Foundation at (337) 521-9026 or foundation@solacc.edu.