By By Lisa Tindell – news editor
Teachers and staff of the Alabama State University's Southern Normal Campus received an early Christmas gift courtesy of AT&T. That gift will be used to provide educational assistance and opportunities to high school students in Escambia County.
Headmaster RoseMary Watkins accepted a grant check for $82,070 presented from AT&T by Gigi Armbrecht during an open house celebration Wednesday on the ASUSN campus.
The grant will be used to help fund the program designed by ASU to provide area high school students the tools to reach academic success, according to Watkins.
ASU interim president, Dr. William Harris, was on hand to express his appreciation to both AT&T as well as Watkins and her staff.
The grant, which is part of the High School Success grant program of AT&T, will be used to fund the program that will focus primarily on freshmen and sophomores at Escambia County High School in Atmore.
Escambia County School Superintendent Billy Hines said the funds will certainly be used to of great benefit to the students at the school.
Watkins said ASUSN is excited about what the future holds for the campus and for the students who will benefit from the project.
The grant comes to ASUSN as part of AT&T Aspire, a $100 million philanthropic program to help strengthen student success and workforce readiness. The program focuses on helping students see the connection between education and their future. The company has committed $100 million in philanthropy through 2011 to schools and nonprofit organizations that are focused on high school retention and better preparing students for college and the workforce.