{"684971":{"#nid":"684971","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Clark Scholars Program Expands, Thanks to $11M Gift from Clark Foundation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESeven years after partnering with Georgia Tech to establish its Clark Scholars Program, the A. James \u0026amp; Alice B. Clark Foundation is making a visionary $11 million investment to strengthen the initiative. The new investment will support three essential areas:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUndergraduate need-based student scholarships.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EProgram support to enhance the student experience.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA new philanthropy challenge aimed at teaching the next generation of philanthropists.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech\u2019s commitment to excellence and its unwavering support for students align perfectly with the Clark Foundation\u2019s mission,\u201d said Courtney Clark Pastrick, board chair of the Clark Foundation. \u201cThis investment will allow Georgia Tech to reach even more talented engineering students, enrich their educational journey, and instill in them the values of service and philanthropy that were so important to my father.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Clark Foundation\u2019s initial investments in 2018 included endowed funding that covers the unmet need for 10 new students each year. Each Clark Scholars Program cohort is supported through their undergraduate career, resulting in 40 to 50 actively supported students at any given time. This latest investment will elevate the number of supported students to upwards of 100, once the additional funding is fully deployed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the Clark Scholars Program, students meet with Georgia Tech leadership and alumni mentors, receive tutoring, participate in career planning, and volunteer for community service projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis support allows our students to have hands-on learning experiences, obtain career development skills, and support for mental health and well-being,\u201d said Raheem Beyah, dean of the College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for the countless ways the Clark Foundation has changed the lives of our engineers. This investment is a testament to the meaningful partnership between Georgia Tech and the Clark Foundation and perpetuates the Foundation\u2019s lasting impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of its Invest in the Best Scholarship Challenge, Georgia Tech is committed to removing financial barriers and enriching the educational experience for bright, qualified students. Through this initiative, the Georgia Tech Foundation matched the scholarship portion of the Clark Foundation\u2019s recent funding dollar-for-dollar, increasing the total number of students the Clark Scholars Program will support.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese collective funds will double the number of scholarships for highly deserving engineering students with low and limited income, allowing them to have the resources necessary to attend Georgia Tech. The funds will also cover academic fees and expenses in addition to learning opportunities such as research, study abroad, and summer courses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, the Clark Foundation\u2019s recent investment will support programmatic elements of the Clark Scholars Program, ensuring that Scholars are successful on campus and equipped with the skills and life experiences to graduate as well-rounded, highly skilled engineers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech demands an enormous amount from its students. In addition to funding their education, a gift like this ensures that our Scholars can focus on their coursework because they know that mental health support and professional development curricula are in place to promote their success,\u201d said David Torello, Clark Scholars program director at Georgia Tech. \u201cIt also gives us the resources to provide life skills to our students, such as financial advising and career coaching. The Foundation\u2019s support is radically changing our students\u2019 life trajectories.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinally, the Clark Foundation is funding a new initiative \u2014 the Clark Scholars Philanthropy Challenge. The Challenge will help educate Scholars on the work of nonprofit organizations and the impact individual giving can have on their local communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents will evaluate local nonprofits by studying financial filings, reviewing impact reports, and interviewing leadership. The Scholars will then donate to one of the organizations using funds from the Philanthropy Challenge Endowment. The hands-on experience will allow students to learn about philanthropy and philanthropic grantmaking, cultivate a charitable spirit, and create and strengthen the connection between the Scholars and their local communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Clark Foundation\u2019s vision and generosity continue to have a lasting impact on the College of Engineering and Georgia Tech,\u201d Beyah said. \u201cMr. and Mrs. Clark\u2019s enduring legacy allows our students to gain the skills and experiences they\u2019ll use to make the world a better place as service-minded leaders in their fields.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETo make a gift to the College of Engineering, contact \u003Cstrong\u003EDave Zaksheske\u003C\/strong\u003E, executive director of Development for the College of Engineering, at \u003Cstrong\u003Edavez@coe.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESeven years after establishing the program, the Foundation\u0027s additional investment will grow the Clark Scholars to supporting 100 engineering students at a time with scholarships, mentoring, and community.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Seven years after establishing the program, the Foundation\u0027s additional investment will grow the Clark Scholars to supporting 100 engineering students at a time with scholarships, mentoring, and community."}],"uid":"27446","created_gmt":"2025-09-17 15:10:10","changed_gmt":"2025-09-17 15:12:30","author":"Joshua Stewart","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678042":{"id":"678042","type":"image","title":"Raheem-Clark-Scholars-t.jpg","body":null,"created":"1758121831","gmt_created":"2025-09-17 15:10:31","changed":"1758121831","gmt_changed":"2025-09-17 15:10:31","alt":"Dean Raheem Beyah with two Clark Scholars","file":{"fid":"262020","name":"Raheem-Clark-Scholars-t.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/17\/Raheem-Clark-Scholars-t.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/17\/Raheem-Clark-Scholars-t.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":204915,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/17\/Raheem-Clark-Scholars-t.jpg?itok=4ysE1KHT"}}},"media_ids":["678042"],"groups":[{"id":"604685","name":"Clark Scholars"},{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"177342","name":"A. James \u0026 Alice B. Clark Foundation"},{"id":"186163","name":"Georgia Tech Clark Scholars Program"},{"id":"183992","name":"Clark scholars"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}