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By Jordan Bolch
Davie Community Foundation

Ignite Davie is making a difference in the lives of the students. Ignite Davie will pay tuition, required fees and a stipend for books for students to attend Davidson-Davie Community College full-time.
In 2021, more than 80 students joined the Ignite Davie program and are benefitting from the opportunities it provides – students like Josh Pilcher.
Pilcher was born and raised in Davie County, graduated from Davie High in 2021 and is attending Davidson-Davie Community College.
The college offers a variety of classes and degree programs. This allows students to find their passions, no matter what the field. DDCC offers programs ranging from business, accounting and computers to engineering and education as well as others like zoo and aquarium science and sustainable agriculture.
“It’s not your daddy’s community college,” said Carolyn McManamy, director of Davie Connect.
Pilcher is studying to be a machinist, taking classes in industrial safety, machining calculation and a machining class in and of itself. “I’ve wanted to be a machinist since I was in the ninth grade,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to do it, and this worked out perfectly.”
After going through the college application process and entering his first semester at DDCC, he encourages other students to “power through and get it done because it’s really worth it after you do it.”
“Ignite Davie is playing an instrumental role in preparing students for their future careers and at the same time is saving these students and their parents thousands of dollars in tuition and fees,” McManamy said.
“This college promise program is not just a promise for today but it’s also a promise for generations to come,” said Jane Simpson, president of the Davie Community Foundation. The $3 million endowment ensures that today’s kindergarteners will have these same opportunities when they become seniors in high school and are looking toward higher education.
Learn more about Ignite Davie and how this provides Davie students with an opportunity to continue their education without incurring student debt at https://ignitedavie.com/.