The new scholarships are the Keswani Foundation Charger Basketball Scholarship Endowment and the Mitchell Earwood Emergency Services Scholarship.
Columbia State Community College is now home to two new scholarship opportunities, the Keswani Foundation Charger Basketball Scholarship Endowment and the Mitchell Earwood Emergency Services Scholarship. The first is a scholarship to support students on the men’s basketball team and the second is a scholarship for students who are pursuing an emergency service-related program of study.
According to an article on Columbia State Community College’s website regarding the Keswani Foundation Charger Basketball Scholarship Endowment, Dr. Amit Keswani explained the reason for establishing the scholarship. Dr. Keswani is quoted as saying, “We are particularly honored to direct this endowment toward the men's basketball team, in recognition of my personal friendship with Coach Winston Neal, whom I met during our time together at Georgia Institute of Technology from 1997 to 2001 and have remained friends to this day. This scholarship is a testament to the bonds forged through education and sport, and to the opportunities that arise when both are made accessible to all.”
The Keswani Foundation created the scholarship in recognition of the legacy of Nilam Keswani, who immigrated to the United States and found immense value in education and its impact on his life and the life of his family. Dr. Amit Keswani is a member of the Columbia State Foundation Board.
Winston Neal, who is Columbia State men’s basketball head coach, said, “Amit has been a loyal friend since our Georgia Tech days, and now he’s a tremendous supporter of Columbia State’s student-athletes. As a top cardiologist in the state of Tennessee, he not only takes great care of everyone in both Maury and Williamson counties, but he also looks out for me.”
In a separate article discussing the establishment of the Mitchell Earwood Emergency Services Scholarship, Mike Pinkerton, who is a training captain at the Spring Hill Fire Department, explained the scholarship and the man it is honoring.
Pinkerton said, “Mitch was important to so many of us and demonstrated in his life and work qualities that make a department strong in service to its community. Coworkers, family, friends and even those who didn’t personally know him have come together to establish this scholarship in his honor and memory. It pleases us that it will help students at Columbia State who are studying to go into emergency services. We want to grow this scholarship and keep it going in his memory.”
Mitchell Earwood was a firefighter with the Spring Hill Fire Department, as well as a husband and father. He died in 2020 during a severe storm while on his family’s farm. In addition to the scholarship honoring his memory, the SHFD will be honoring him at the opening of a new fire station at the end of the year.
The scholarship is available to any student in a degree program or a certificate program in an emergency service-related program of study.
Bethany Lay, who serves as the college’s vice president for advancement and as the executive director of the Columbia State Foundation, said, “We are pleased to have this scholarship as a resource for students wanting to prepare themselves for service in times of greatest need. We thank everyone involved for their efforts and generosity.”
For more information about Columbia State Community College, visit the school’s website.