AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) – Each year, the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AHCC) invests money into higher education, giving more students the opportunity to afford classes and other learning essentials.
It most recently presented Amarillo College, West Texas A&M University, and the Thrive Scholarship Program each a check for $7,500.
Ana Ramirez, executive director of the AHCC says, these contributions are focused on investing in the area’s future workforce.
“These are our students that are going to go into the workforce, they affect our businesses,” said Ramirez. “We need good, working employees and education is a big foundation for that. If they’re educated, they’re going to be better employees, and we want to remove those barriers for our workforce.”
Amarillo’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has been partnered with West Texas A&M since 2004, continually offering its resources to the university’s mission.
“Their consistent support is a sign that we have a good partnership,” said Todd Rasberry, executive director of the West Texas A&M Foundation. “They see the value of education, and WT is committed to regionalism, to supporting the communities and the families and the students from this region. So, it couldn’t be a better partnership.”
Kevin Friemel is a development officer at the Amarillo Area Foundation, a sponsor of the thrive scholarship program. The program financially supports students from Amarillo ISD, who move on to Amarillo College. He talked about how funds received from the chamber support the city’s growth.
“We know if we can keep people here and keep people from leaving Amarillo, they’re more likely to stay here long-term and raise a family here,” said Friemel. “The downstream effects of that as far as economics goes are pretty straightforward.”
The Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has invested over $134,000 into area education more than 20 years.
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