The Seminole State College Educational Foundation recently received a $10,000 grant from the Arvest Foundation. The donation will help provide leadership opportunities for students at the College – specifically members of the President’s Leadership Class.

The PLC program was established at Seminole State College over a decade ago.  The two-year scholarship program provides approximately 40 to 45 students with unique educational, cultural, volunteer and leadership opportunities.  Throughout the year, they are able to meet with state leaders, learn about local government and philanthropy, study leadership styles and participate in community volunteer work.

Each year, the Arvest Foundation asks for suggestions of outstanding nonprofit charity organizations doing great work to improve their local communities for consideration of grant funding. This year, Arvest Bank President Chris Clark provided a recommendation for the SSC Educational Foundation.

Clark has served as President of Arvest Bank in Shawnee for the past 20 years.  A native of Seminole.  His family has a long association with Seminole and Seminole State College.  His father, C.M. Clark was a Seminole banker, member of the Seminole School Board and on the first Board of Regents for Seminole “Junior” College.  Chris Clark graduated from SJC in 1975 and was inducted into the College’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 1998.  He served many years as a Trustee on the Seminole State College Educational Foundation.

SSC President Lana Reynolds expressed her appreciation to the Arvest Foundation and to Clark for recommending SSC for the grant. “The funds from this grant will help provide students in the PLC program additional opportunities to develop their leadership skills and further enhance their personal and professional growth. We are always excited to expand this exceptional program at SSC, and we are extremely thankful to Mr. Clark and Arvest for helping us to continue to do that.”

Arvest Bank owns and operates 14 community banks in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas offering banking, mortgages, credit cards and investments.  The bank began in Bentonville, Arkansas in 1961.  They now have more than 270 locations in more than 135 communities. 

For more information about the PLC program at Seminole State College, contact Director of Community Services Kristin Dunn, who serves as coordinator of the program, at 405-382-9218 or k.dunn@sscok.edu.