On behalf of the Trident Technical College Foundation, we would like to thank all of our current donors for their generosity and support. Here are some of their stories.

After a career as a pilot in the US Navy, Earle Hutchison and his wife, Elizabeth, returned to their native South Carolina in 1964. While working at Lockheed’s Polaris Missile Facility near Charleston, Earle served as a liaison between the company and the College (then known as Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Technical Education Center) which provided training opportunities to employees of Lockheed and other companies operating in the area.

Eventually, he began teaching engineering technology courses in the evening at the College while continuing his work with Lockheed. By 1970, he had become a full-time employee of TTC working as a math instructor. He later went on to hold positions as Director of Continuing Education, Dean of Instruction and Executive Assistant to the President and VP of Instruction. Earle moved back to the classroom to teach math courses for two years before retiring in 1986.

Upon retirement, he established the Earle G. Hutchison Endowed Scholarship with the TTC Foundation through contributions made over several years. This fund benefits students pursing studies in any of several engineering technology programs offered by the College.

Earle believes that retirement does not end his relationship with TTC. Like many of his colleagues, he continues to support the College because of the important role it plays in the community. “The College benefits not only the students who attend, but the area businesses as well. TTC meant a great deal to me, providing valuable personal and professional experiences during my time here. Although I am retired, I believe it is important to continue to support TTC.”

In 2006, Earle and Liz added the Foundation to their wills in order to ensure their continued support of the College beyond their lifetimes. Reflecting on the 36 years in which he has supported the College with his time, talents and money, he found that including the Foundation in his will provided the best way to continue his support beyond his lifetime.

A retired employee of TTC, who wishes to remain anonymous, understands the benefits of making a planned gift through the Foundation to support the College. He wanted to make a planned gift because he believes strongly that an investment in education, especially at TTC, is the best way to make a significant, positive impact on the lives of many people. “I’ve been a part of several colleges, as a student and a teacher, and I consider all of them to be my alma maters. Through the years I have supported them all, however, I now choose to direct my support exclusively to Trident Technical College.”

By establishing a charitable gift annuity, the donor made a significant gift that will ultimately benefit the college, and he created a lifetime of annuity payments guaranteed by the Foundation’s assets. He receives an immediate income tax deduction for a portion of his gift, and the subsequent annuity payments to him are partially tax-free.

Guy C. Tarrant, a Charleston native and founder of the commercial real estate firm, The Tarrant Company, Inc., believes in working to make his community a better place.

He has distinguished himself as a community and state leader by participating in and leading numerous boards and civic organizations, including service as chairman of the board for the Mason Preparatory School and the Charleston County Planning board and as a board member for the Episcopal Diocese Housing Authority (The Canterbury House), the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education.

Although he is not a graduate of Trident Technical College, Mr. Tarrant will be the first to say that TTC has had a hand in his professional success. “My thirty-year career in commercial and industrial real estate has been a success in large part because of the level of economic development activity in the tri-county region. TTC has played a key role in promoting economic development during much of this period,” he says.

He is also very aware of the opportunities and challenges facing the TTC today, having served as a member of the College’s Area Commission from 1994 to 2003. During that time, he helped the College address its long-range planning needs by providing insight and counsel on several major real estate transactions made by the College. He also witnessed the beginning of a trend of increasing enrollment and diminishing levels of state funding. “While serving on the Area Commission, I saw the level of state support decrease significantly, while enrollment increased from 7,000 to over 11,000 and the number of employees stayed level. I know that the College is working harder than ever to maintain its standards of excellence in providing higher-education opportunities and workforce training to our community,” he noted.

Reflecting on his long-standing relationship with TTC and other local organizations, Mr. Tarrant says, “It is important to give back to the community that has been so good to me, and supporting TTC – an institution with a tremendous reputation - is one of the ways in which I chose to fulfill that obligation.”

Like other donors to the college, Mr. Tarrant chose to make a planned gift in the form of a bequest. By naming the TTC Foundation in his will, he is making a deferred gift that the College will be able to use at later date to meet future needs.