The Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock Foundation is donating $1 million to Florida State College at Jacksonville for student scholarships through the FSCJ Foundation.
“Jennifer and I have always valued the role FSCJ plays in the educational landscape and workforce preparation initiatives of our community which are critical to Jacksonville becoming a world-class city,” Ward said in a Nov. 17 news release.
“We wanted to do our part to secure the College’s future through a scholarship gift with the intent of helping even more students achieve their goals, earn a diploma, join the workforce and build a stronger tomorrow. I hope many others will join us in this effort.”
Ward and Glock, longtime local philanthropists, made their commitment to support the I Choose FSCJ Workforce Scholarship Fund and to establish the Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock Foundation Endowed Scholarship Fund.
Scholarships will be awarded to students enrolled in academic programs that serve urgent workforce needs of the community, including health care, logistics, transportation and warehousing, manufacturing, IT and cybersecurity, and culinary and hospitality.
Preference will be given to students who are completing their final 15 credit hours to better position them to complete their programs of study and graduate.
“This gift is truly life changing in that it comes at a time when the growth of our community and the economic challenges our students face necessitate intervention. We are grateful to Michael and Jennifer for their forward-thinking partnership that we know will strengthen our College, our students and this community we are proud to serve,” FSCJ President John Avendano said in the release.
Retired chairman and CEO of CSX Corp., Ward is the founder of City Year Jacksonville and serves on multiple nonprofit boards.
Glock is co-trustee of the Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock Foundation and was a licensed marriage and family therapist, practicing in Jacksonville for more than 47 years. The couple has made multiple gifts to causes across Jacksonville, with a focus on enhancing educational opportunities in the community.
The FSCJ Foundation provides nearly 1,000 students each year with financial support in the form of scholarships, grants and other resources.