Strengthening community connections while providing personal impact. That is the magnitude of the Porters Neck Village Scholarship in Memory of Eileen Rock.
The senior living community in Porters Neck has a well-established relationship with UNC Wilmington as its residents take many classes through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute or enjoy Seahawk athletics or arts performances. The bond between residents and UNCW has only strengthened with many Porters Neck Village employees and interns being Seahawk students.
With that connection in mind, Porters Neck Village residents had been interested in establishing a scholarship with UNCW for quite some time, with budget as a concern. The scholarship has come to fruition thanks to Eileen Rock’s gift.
“As we were having these scholarship-establishing discussions, we got the call that Eileen had left $50,000 to Porters Neck Village to use on behalf of the employees,” Porters Neck Village Director of Human Resources Alyssa Paquin said.
It was, unquestionably, the right gift at the right time.
“It was really a no-brainer to pick UNCW as it’s a local school that does great things in the community,” Paquin said. “We decided to use the money to create the scholarship.”
“The gift came our way and fit perfectly,” Porters Neck Village Executive Director Jolynn Whitten said. “One of our goals within our strategic plan is community partnerships. There are so many ties from Porters Neck Village to UNCW – from students to residents to volunteers to grandchildren of residents attending.”
This past year, Porters Neck Village had its first social work intern through UNCW, with the residents quickly bonding with a student who, for some, was nearly seven decades younger. It is the start of another tie between the two, and potentially the start of employment with Porters Neck Village.
“We’re also looking for UNCW graduates who want to stay here in Wilmington and work with us,” Whitten added.
Strengthening the local community and its residents has been a focus of UNC Wilmington since its founding 75 years ago. As the university looks to its next 75 years, the future is bright with continual reinvestment and reinvigoration from within Port City.
Gifts to help support the Porters Neck Village Scholarship in Memory of Eileen Rock count towards Like No Other: The Campaign for UNCW.