Partners For Success: Welcome Back
In Reunion-Like Atmosphere, Oretha Bridgwaters, The County Council And Steve Proctor Honored At Prince George’s Community College Annual Foundation Gala
By Chloe Redmond // Photography By Amir Stoudamire Prince Gorge’s Suite Magazine & Media
After a four-year hiatus from gathering, colleagues, alumni, and friends were eager to begin the celebration. With the rhythm of slow jazz music serenading their ears, every second was filled with joy. Smiling at neighbors from across the room quickly turned into meaningful conversations. The night was filled with elegance, sophistication and promise.
The Prince George’s Community College Foundation hosted its annual “Partners for Success” Gala on October 7 (See more photos here). During the event at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, attendees had an opportunity to raise funds, transform the lives of young students, and honor community advocates.
“It takes courage to persevere in spite of adversity. In spite of the odds stacked against you…I challenge us together to seek better ways to partner, better ways to leverage the assets that we have in our community, better ways to create focus, the kind that will propel us in the direction that we all desire to go,” said Dr. Falecia D. Williams, President of Prince George’s Community College. The new president gave remarks before the honorees were given their awards. Dr. Williams set the tone for the evening. In her speech, Williams noted that by 2030, the institution seeks to exceed its 60% graduation rate for all degree-seeking students—just one notion in her vision for the college.
“I believe that when you serve a community, that community will serve you back. We have worked at making sure that our standards were high, and that we were going to move the students, and show the students that we care about them and their progress,” shared Oretha Bridgwaters, a 2022 reward recipient and retired teacher. Bridgwaters served over 35 years in the education field. She understands the significance of caring for the well- being of students.
Members of the Prince George’s County Council and Steve Proctor, President, and CEO of G.S. Proctor & Associates, Inc. also received awards for their service.
“We've been in business 27 years, and when I say we, I mean it really is a family business,” Proctor said in his remarks. “Prince George's County has embraced me and my family, and my father. No matter what size we are, Prince George's Community College has been that rock. Other shiny new toys will come and go, but that rock is always there.”
County Councilmember Todd Turner asked his colleagues on the council to join him at the podium to accept the award for the council just before acknowledging the team work atmosphere that makes the council and the college successful.
“On behalf of the Prince George's County Council, our chair, Calvin Hawkins, and our vice chair, Sydney Harrison, we want to say thank you for this opportunity to be recognized as partners with the Prince George’s Community College,” Turner said. “Obviously, tonight's theme is being partners for success, and the fact that the Prince George's County Council has been a partner for years here supporting the Prince George's Community College in different ways. We are about partnership, here in Prince George's County, and leading this county forward. It strikes me on this occasion that it's been probably four years since we've been able to get together in this kind of way. When I was chair, I didn't get a chance to do this, so I want to thank Chair Hawkins for letting me [represent the council and accept this award] as part of my swansong here as I complete my term as councilmember and my colleagues complete their terms over these past eight years.”
By the evening’s end, over $25,000 was donated to the President’s Forward Momentum endowed scholarship fund. The funding will assist non-traditional students in “transforming what others perceive as a disadvantage into their greatest strengths.” Partners and community leaders are invested in helping the college succeed. The gala was a small testament to the dedication and support for Prince George’s Community College.
