By Hazel Scott/ASU
Alabama State University’s Office of Institutional Advancement has partnered with SONS Kia of Montgomery to support ASU students through scholarships and explore opportunities for continued collaboration with the University.
As part of the partnership, SONS Kia awarded two $2,000 scholarships to Alabama State University students Shekinah Perkins, a senior forensic biology major, and Royce Jones, a junior marketing major. The scholarships were part of a larger community initiative in which the dealership partnered with three local universities—Alabama State University, Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM), and Faulkner University—to provide $10,000 in total college scholarships.
The awards were presented during a three-day grand opening celebration for SONS Kia’s newly constructed facility on Eastern Boulevard in Montgomery. Six scholarships were awarded to students across the three participating institutions.
The partnership also brought ASU into the dealership’s grand opening festivities, with Miss ASU and the ASU cheerleaders featured during SONS Kia of Montgomery’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. The celebration also included a Family Fun Day and a concert by Lady K.
SONS Kia General Manager Josh Bottoms emphasized the dealership’s commitment to Montgomery and its educational institutions.
“If it wasn’t for the community, we wouldn’t be here,” Bottoms told Action 8 News. “It’s going to be a relationship with the colleges and with the community that’s going to be ongoing for years to come.”
Col. (ret.) Gregory Clark, ASU’s vice president of Institutional Advancement, said the collaboration demonstrates the importance of community partnerships in supporting students and their educational goals.
“This partnership with SONS Kia of Montgomery represents the kind of community collaboration that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our students,” Clark said. “We are grateful for their investment in Alabama State University and, most importantly, for their commitment to helping our students pursue their educational goals.”
Clark added that the scholarships not only represent an investment in students, but they also are an opportunity to strengthen ties between the University and the Montgomery business community.
“These scholarships are an investment in the future of our students and our community, and we look forward to building on this relationship and identifying additional opportunities to collaborate with SONS Kia in the years ahead,” Clark said.