Don and Patricia Roof of Ann Arbor, Michigan, have been recognized as Monroe County Community College’s 2021 Supporters of the Year. The Supporter of the Year Award is presented annually by the MCCC Board of Trustees and awarded at the Monroe Business Development Center's annual Focus on the Future event.
The Roofs have long supported MCCC, making the decision in 2014 to add The Foundation at MCCC to the organizations they support through the Roof Family Foundation, the foundation they established and run with their three adult daughters. Since they established the Roof Family Scholarship Fund at MCCC, 12 students have received $7,500 individual scholarships, essentially full-ride funding to study and earn a degree in one of the college’s 13 Applied Science and Engineering Technology Division programs.
In addition to their continued generosity through their scholarship fund, the Roofs were one of the first donors to step forward and contribute to The Foundation at MCCC’s Project Persist initiative last year to support MCCC students during the pandemic. Their $17,500 gift was instrumental to the college’s efforts to offer emergency aid to struggling students beyond traditional scholarships to assist students meet their basic financial needs. Through the Completion Fund, Emergency Relief Fund and Student Emergency Funds, dozens of students were able to continue their education throughout the pandemic.
Don and Pat are very aware of the increasing need for highly skilled, well-trained individuals in manufacturing in recent years. “Not all careers require a traditional four-year university degree,” said Don. “And in this current economy, students with the right kinds of skills and training can land a well-paying job in a high-demand field with a certificate or associate degree in the specialty areas MCCC offers through ASET.”
The Roofs also enjoy the opportunity to meet and get to know the scholarship recipients their generosity supports, which is something donors don’t always get to experience with larger institutions and the programs they support.
Criteria for the MCCC Supporter of the Year award includes general support for the college and its programs, volunteer work that supports the college, substantial financial and/or equipment contributions to the college, substantial scholarship donations, and/or extensive participation on college advisory, standing or ad hoc committees.
For more information about the Roof Family Foundation, other donors to the Foundation at MCCC and the many giving opportunities and work of The Foundation at MCCC visit www.monroeccc.edu/foundation.