Dr. Philip P. Kerstetter, president of the University of Mount Olive, and Lorenda Overman, who serves on the executive committee and board of the North Carolina Pork Council.
MOUNT OLIVE – The NC Pork Council has pledged $125,000 to the University of Mount Olive. The money will be used to establish the NC Pork Council Scholarship Endowment.
“We are so appreciative of the NC Pork Council Board of Directors for their decision to establish an endowed scholarship at UMO,” stated Dr. Philip P. Kerstetter, president of the University. “Our agriculture programs are our fastest growing majors, and that is not surprising given the importance of agriculture in this region and all of North Carolina. Our agriculture students – and ultimately our state – will benefit from the philanthropy of this worthwhile organization for decades to come.”
The NC Pork Council Scholarship Endowment will provide scholarship opportunities for worthy and qualified students who are pursuing majors in agriculture. Recipients must demonstrate strong evidence of personal integrity, moral character, good citizenship, academic promise, and a sincere commitment to attaining an education. Recipients must also agree to participate in both prescribed academic studies and in a defined extra-curricular program, including but not limited to internships and service projects, as may be determined by the University.
“The University of Mount Olive has a thriving agricultural program that is preparing a new generation of students to carry on North Carolina’s rich agricultural heritage,” said Deborah Johnson, CEO of the NC Pork Council. “Agriculture is an important part of the state’s workforce, and the N.C. Pork Council is proud to support talented students who are pursuing a career in agriculture.”
In establishing the endowment, representatives from the Council expressed that is was the intent of the Council to provide an enriched learning experience for individuals who, in the future will relate these experiences through successful agricultural careers and citizenship development by providing future services to the agricultural industry, the University, the Church, and humanity.
The first scholarship will be awarded during the 2017-2018 academic year.
The NC Pork Council was established in 1962 to promote the North Carolina pork industry, which includes more than 2,000 farms, provides approximately 46,000 full-time jobs and contributes $11 billion a year to the state’s economy. It supports many scholarship and internship opportunities for North Carolina students.
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Research Triangle Park, Washington, Jacksonville, and in Smithfield at Johnston Community College. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.