Western Piedmont Foundation

You can help elevate small business growth in Burke County by sponsoring the third annual “Elevate Burke” business pitch competition!

The event, organized by the Small Business Center at Western Piedmont Community College, provides support and training to people who want to start or expand a small business in Burke County.

Local entrepreneurs are invited to submit applications featuring their unique business idea by Monday, Aug. 3. The ones chosen as finalists will participate in a free multi-day pitch workshop, where they will be coached on presenting their business idea with maximum impact. At the end of the workshop, the contestants will pitch their business to a panel of judges, who will choose a winner. The workshop and final pitch event will take place from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3.

The winner of the competition will receive a cash award for their business and continued free training from the SBC. The award is provided through sponsorships from local businesses, organizations and individuals. See the flyer for details on sponsorship levels and benefits.

The deadline to pledge a sponsorship is Aug. 13. To donate a sponsorship, visit wpcc.edu/foundation/give and type “Elevate Burke sponsorship” in the fund designation box on the donation form. You also can pledge your support of the competition by contacting Mackenzie Bostian Adams, WPF executive director, at [email protected] or 828-448-3123.

"I know this is a time of hardship for businesses and individuals alike, so know that I would not ask for your support without understanding the implications of what I'm asking,” said Lily Laramie, WPCC SBC director. “So, as I ask you to donate to the SBC Elevate Burke Pitch Competition, know I am asking not on behalf of the SBC, but on behalf of the new businesses that grow our local economy."

Visit https://bit.ly/4wIf1KC to submit an application to be considered as a contestant in the Elevate Burke business pitch competition. Finalists will be announced Aug. 6. For more information on the competition, contact Lily Laramie at 828-448-6719 or [email protected].

Small Business Center

The next time you're on YouTube, don't forget to subscribe to our Western Piedmont Foundation channel and check out our videos!

We need your help sharing a special story!

The Freedom High School Scholarship was created by the Freedom High School Class of 1975 in memory of Steve W. Smith, who was one of the class members. We would like to learn more about Steve and share his story on our social media and post it with the notice about the scholarship on the WPCC website so his legacy can be enjoyed by future generations.

If you have any biographical information about Steve W. Smith or special memories of him, please email us at [email protected] and let us know, or drop a comment below. And share this post to help spread the word - we appreciate it!

P.S. We also would like a photo of Steve if you have one!

SCHOLARSHIP SPOTLIGHT

The K. Harold Clark Scholarship provides financial support to education students at Western Piedmont Community College.

The scholarship was established by the family of the late Harold Clark, who served in the Burke County Public Schools system for 37 years. Over the course of his life, he was the principal of Mull, Drexel and Salem Elementary Schools, and Freedom High School. He also coached school athletic teams. In addition to his education career, he was a partner in his family business, Catawba Valley Medical Services.

The Western Piedmont Foundation would like to honor two foundation supporters who have passed away within the last six months, John Greene Sr. and Oval Jaynes Jr.

John Greene Sr. was a longtime Morganton resident known for his 58-year leadership of the John Greene Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership. He received many recognitions during his life, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, the North Carolina Dealer of the Year by Time Magazine (2006), the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the state of NC, the Man of the Year by the Morganton Rotary Club (2014) and a Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

John was an avid golfer and participated in golf tournaments over the years that helped raise funds for the Western Piedmont Foundation.

Morganton native Oval Jaynes Jr. enjoyed a stellar career as a college football coach and athletics director at well-known schools across the country. He was inducted into the NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) Hall of Fame in 2012. He received the Gen. Robert R. Neyland Award for Lifetime Achievement from the All-American Football Foundation (1999), the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award from Appalachian State University, a Special Service Award from the ASU Athletics Hall of Fame (2023) and the Bill Wade Unsung Hero Award.

Oval’s family supported WPCC students through the creation of the Naomi B. and Oval Jaynes Sr. Nursing Scholarship, which honors the memory of the late Naomi Brandon Jaynes, Oval Jr.’s mother.

We appreciate everything John and Oval have done for the foundation and the positive change they brought to the Burke County community through their examples of service. They will be greatly missed!

We're excited to see the early childhood education program's mock early childhood classroom come together today at Western Piedmont Community College!

As you may recall, we shared earlier this year that the college was awarded an education focus area grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to purchase the necessary furnishings and materials to install the mock early childhood classroom in a space in Carr Hall on WPCC's main campus. Once completed, the room will provide hands-on practice for students in the early childhood education program and serve as a venue for family engagement events and child care during campus events.

Want to learn more about the college's early childhood education program? Visit wpcc.edu.

Help us spread the word - the application period for foundation scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year at WPCC will be open until July 15. You can check out all the different scholarships and their criteria at wpcc.awardspring.com.

The next edition of the Western Piedmont Foundation newsletter comes out tomorrow! Stay up to date with all of our news and events by signing up to receive the newsletter right in your inbox: visit https://bit.ly/4cGzo2x or use the link on our Linktree page...

Donations to the Legacy Fund can make all the difference in the lives of WPCC students!

Western Piedmont Community College gave Lizzie Whisnant Pshyk the foundation to turn a lifelong passion into a meaningful career.

While working at the Burke County Public Library, Lizzie completed her Associate in Arts degree at WPCC through dual enrollment as a homeschooled student. The experience helped her build confidence and prepare for the next steps in higher education and her profession.

Today, she serves as the young adult librarian and library manager at the Hildebran Public Library — helping teens discover the same sense of belonging and opportunity that libraries gave her growing up.

“WPCC is an opportunity to explore your interests and find your own path forward,” Lizzie said.

Read Lizzie’s full story at wpcc.edu/graduation/ to learn how she transformed her love of libraries into a career dedicated to serving her community and inspiring the next generation of readers.

Burke County Public Library