TruWest� Credit Union Donates $40,000 Grant to Mesa Community College

TEMPE, Ariz.— TruWest Credit Union strengthens its longstanding partnership with Mesa Community College and support of students participating in its First Year Experience (FYE) program with a $40,000 grant and in-kind programs for the participants and their parents.

“We are honored to support the Mesa Community College First Year Experience program, reducing barriers for students and supporting their academic success,” said Alan Althouse, President and CEO of TruWest Credit Union. “This is a special program that has an impact on both the students and their families. We look forward to supporting the First Year Experience program for years to come.”

The grant covers tuition and fees for approximately 50 students and funds student leadership opportunities through stipends for FYE ambassadors for the 2022-2023 academic year. In-kind programs include financial literacy workshops for the students and their parents led by TruWest professionals.

“The workshops hosted by First Year Experience, Foundation for Student Success, and TruWest were so beneficial,” said Grace Johnson FYE student and ambassador. “TruWest and this program have been a great support system to not only me but every student in the program, and I could not be more thankful for this experience.”

FYE is a year-long program focused on providing services and support needed to successfully transition to college. Participants must have attended one of six high schools in the Mesa Public Schools system and may be first generation students or students in need of additional academic support in English, math, and reading.

"These last few years we have seen our partnership blossom with TruWest leadership and employees investing in our students through their time, expertise, and generous donations in support of First Year student success,” said Melissa Carpenter, director of MCC Foundations for Student Success. “TruWest understands the difference a college education can make in the lives of first-generation college students. They also believe in service to the local community."

Since 2019 TruWest has provided $135,600 in grants to the MCC FYE program, supporting more than 235 FYE participants.

In addition to supporting the FYE program at MCC, TruWest regularly contributes food, clothing, personal hygiene and cleaning supplies to the Mesa Market, an on-campus pantry for MCC students. In 2020, the credit union refurbished the space used for the market on the MCC Southern and Dobson Campus.

About TruWest Credit Union

TruWest® Credit Union is headquartered in Tempe, Ariz. and operates as a cooperative providing its members with a lifetime of quality financial services and a culture of caring for its organization, employees and communities. TruWest is a strong and sound financial institution with more than 93,000 members and assets totaling more than $1.5 billion. TruWest Credit Union has 12 branch locations—eight in metro Phoenix and four in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.truwest.org.

About Mesa Community College

Mesa Community College is nationally recognized as an Aspen Prize Top 150 U.S. Community College and is known for service learning, career and technical programs, civic engagement and innovative approaches to education. For more than 50 years, the college has served as a resource for career readiness, transfer education, workforce development and lifelong learning. Host to more than 30,000 students annually, MCC offers degree and certificate programs at its two campuses, additional locations and a combination of online formats. Through Guided Pathways with Integrated Support Services and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, MCC is transforming how it champions student success, college completion, university transfer and career attainment and advancement. MCC is a Hispanic Serving Institution and nearly 50% of its students are the first in their families to attend college. Its American Indian Institute serves students from the 22 federally recognized tribes of Arizona as well as out-of-state tribes. MCC has the largest indigenous student population of all the Maricopa Community Colleges. The diverse student body includes more than 300 international students from 55 countries. Award-winning faculty are dedicated to student success, providing the education and training that empowers MCC students to successfully transfer to a university or compete in the workforce. Located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, on the traditional territories of the O'odham, Piipaash and Yavapai Peoples, MCC is one of 10 colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District. Visit mesacc.edu to learn more.