Can They Play Football?

According to the latest edition of BC eNews, Benedictine has been awarded a grant of over $400,000 to cultivate Latino diversity within the school. The grant will provide financial aid for Latino families as well as fund a full time position for a Latino counselor.

With 104 years of academic and athletic success, and a mission to educate students from diverse cultural, socio-economic and educational backgrounds, Benedictine Military School now has the financial backing of The Goizueta Foundation to deepen diversity specifically in the Hispanic/Latino community. Benedictine Military School grants more need based tuition assistance to its families than any other private or Catholic school in the region however, there remains continued financial need, in the community. Aided by The Foundation, whose own goal is “assisting organizations that empower individuals and families through educational opportunities to improve the quality of their lives” Benedictine is now able to offer tuition assistance in the form of a fund specifically targeted to Hispanic/Latino students. President of Benedictine Military School and a graduate of BC’s Class of 1960, Dennis Rooks states, “I welcome the opportunity to open our doors to more Hispanic youth. We have a proud tradition of helping deserving students to become BC Cadets and The
Goizueta Foundation will help us do even more.”

Along with the scholarship fund, a portion of the grant has been set aside to fund a new position in the Benedictine Guidance Department. The position will be a Director for Academic and Cultural Diversity, a Spanish speaking individual who has specialized training in support of the needs of minority students. Benedictine Military School Principal, Kelly Burke states “Whether a student brings unique cultural attributes or has a learning style that differs from the norm, they can be very successful at Benedictine Military School with the proper support and guidance. The Director of Academic and Cultural Diversity will take the lead with our faculty in providing that support to our students and their families.”

The Goizueta Foundation has also established and endowed The Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund with a $186,000 gift. The endowment will provide need based scholarship assistance annually for Benedictine students. Preference will be given to Hispanic/Latino students whose families currently reside in the United States. “Our mission calls us to educate a diverse male population”,
said Greg Markiton, a member of the Benedictine Class of 1992 and Director of Development. “The Hispanic population is the fastest growing minority population in southeast Georgia. These families tend to be mostly Catholic and very family focused, two values that line up with the mission of Benedictine Military School making these families a perfect fit for our school.”

The Goizueta Foundation was established in 1992 by Roberto C. Goizueta, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company until his death in October 1997, to provide financial assistance to educational and charitable institutions. The Foundation supports educational programs that promote sustainable change and have a long –term impact in the community.