New Scholarship Award Established for Young Artists

Recent Gaston and Lincoln County high school graduates can earn a full scholarship to attend Gaston College in pursuit of an Associate of Fine Art and Visual Art degree

The Gaston College Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of the Teri Fridley Young Artist Scholarship, an annual full-tuition award in support of young, accomplished artists residing in Gaston and Lincoln counties of North Carolina who wish to pursue their passion by earning an Associate of Fine Art and Visual Art from Gaston College. 

Teri Marie Fridley grew up in Mecklenburg County in a family full of creative women.  Generations of her family had sewn, quilted, and done needlework.  However, none of them claimed the title of artist. Teri never considered art as a career. Instead she channeled her creative abilities into raising her daughter and teaching elementary school in Metro-Atlanta for many years.  She returned to North Carolina and Gaston County to assist with her family’s business and enrolled in art classes at Gaston College.  Here, with the assistance of talented and caring instructors, she was able to express her artistic vision and finally felt empowered to claim the title “Artist.”  By establishing The Teri Fridley Young Artist Scholarship she hopes to provide a guiding hand to area students so that they may also feel empowered to claim that title and pursue careers in the visual arts.

“I have had the pleasure of instructing Teri in 3-D Design and Ceramics here at Gaston College. She is a strong, talented, and caring woman. By establishing this scholarship, Teri’s generosity will be impacting the future of numerous young artists. On behalf of the department I would like to express our profound gratitude for making this become a reality,” said Barbara Chadwick, chairwoman of Arts and Communications, and art instructor, at Gaston College.

“For an alumna to feel so strongly about her experience at Gaston College that she is willing to make a substantial scholarship commitment for others to follow in her footsteps is a testament to the quality of our instructors,” said Foundation Executive Director, Julia Allen.

Gaston College president, Dr. Pat Skinner, stated that “Teri’s passion for her art is obvious when viewing the pieces she creates.  She is deeply committed to highlighting beauty in the world around us.  We are so grateful for her desire to encourage young people to pursue their artistic passion through the establishment of a full scholarship within our art program.”

To qualify for this full-tuition and fees award, students must be residents of Gaston or Lincoln Counties who have earned their high school diploma within the last two years with a minimum high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.  Students must apply to, and be accepted by, Gaston College before access to the College’s scholarship application system is granted.  Continued funding is available if students maintain a 3.0 college GPA.  While financial need is not required for this award, it is considered when applications are reviewed.

The Gaston College Foundation stewards over 80 named annual and endowed scholarship funds for our students.  Because of the generosity of donors who are committed to investing in bright futures, the foundation has provided over $1,000,000 in scholarship assistance over the past five years for Gaston College students to achieve their dreams.  This year alone over $200,000 in scholarship aid was awarded to full and part-time curriculum students in pursuit of certificates, diplomas and degrees in virtually every discipline the College offers. 

Gaston College began accepting scholarship applications for the 2019-2020 academic year on March 1, 2019 and will begin reviewing applications after April 30, 2019.  To apply, please visit the scholarship section of the Foundation’s website.

About Gaston College

Gaston College is one of 58 community colleges in the North Carolina Community College System. Serving both Gaston and Lincoln counties, Gaston College enrolls approximately 6,000 students each term in curriculum programs and averages over 16,000 annually in its Economic and Workforce Development and Continuing Education programs. Gaston College offers over 100 fields of study to obtain a degree, diploma or certificate. To learn more about the College’s services and programs, visit the Gaston College website at www.gaston.edu.  For additional information about Gaston College, please contact Public Information Officer, Stephanie Michael-Pickett, at 704-922-6215 or michael.stephanie@gaston.edu. 

About the Gaston College Foundation

The Gaston College Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation chartered in 1968.  Led by a 15-member volunteer board of directors appointed by the Gaston College Board of Trustees, its role is to encourage and secure financial support to further the work of Gaston College.  The foundation receives and administers both restricted and unrestricted contributions in support of Gaston College’s priorities including student scholarship aid, capital projects, and academic programming.