Whataburger Helps Students with Resource Room!

News Date
Whataburger Ross at podium grand opening ASU.jpg
ASU President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross. Jr.,  speaks at the grand opening of the ASU Student Resource Room in partnership with Whataburger (photo credit: David Campbell/ASU).
 
Grand Opening of ASU's Student Resource Room in Partnership with Whataburger
 
By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU
 
All of the speakers agreed that student success is what Alabama State University's "Student Resource Room in Partnership with Whataburger" is all about as several people addressed the fully-masked group of attendees at its grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony that took place on Sept. 1 in the huge foyer of ASU's Patterson Hall, which is just outside of the room's location. 
 
The gala event began with a news conference with remarks given by ASU President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr. He was joined by a myriad of guests, including Board of Trustee members Judge Tiffany McCord and Delbert Madison; Whataburger executives; and ASU staff and faculty, which included the organizer of the Resource Room, Dr. Denise Davis-Maye, chair of the ASU Social Work Department.
 
"We educate and provide the wings and the wind for our students to fly, and this ASU Student Resource Room in Partnership with Whataburger, will contribute to our student's success," Davis-Maye said with a voice filled with emotion. "This has been a labor of love for many of us working closely with Whataburger and others. We all had lots of hard work to accomplish, and we pulled everything together to see the Student Resource Room open today."
 
ABOUT THE STUDENT RESOURCE ROOM
 
The Student Resource Room is located inside Patterson Hall in room 104 with ancillary rooms supporting its operation. The overall purpose of it is to provide enhanced student access to perishable and nonperishable  foodstuffs, and also offer other items that benefit student health and life, explained President Ross. 
 
"I am excited about today and our pushing forward for student success as we open this new Student Resource Room through the help of Whataburger and with the guidance of Dr. Davis-Maye. We have been proud to provide a food pantry for our students for the past few years; yet, this new Student Resource Room takes that effort to another level,” said Ross. “This room will be specifically dedicated to providing food, toiletry items, cleaning supplies and other resources to those students who find themselves in need of those items. We appreciate the partnership with Whataburger and other community partners in making this resource available to ASU students.” 
 

In an earlier interview, Jennifer S. Anderson, executive director of ASU's Office of Advancement Initiatives, explained that the Student Resource Room helps fulfill a fundamental purpose at the University.

"Having community partners like Whataburger who recognize the value and importance of investing in Alabama State University's students is refreshing and enlightening and makes for a student body that is well-rounded, and healthy in mind, body and soul. It additionally helps them feel supported and to study more positively by knowing that their ASU is working diligently to enable them to be the best in all aspects of their lives and education," Anderson stated. 

WHATABURGER MOTIVATED TO HELP STUDENTS FIGHT FOOD INSECURITY
 
Whataburger corporate executive Jay Cox, who is based in Tennessee, stated that their company believes that no student should ever have to choose between buying a textbook or groceries.  He shared that the new Alabama State University Student Resource Room powered by Whataburger also will include a clothing closet where students can find business attire for professional development activities, interviews, and other occasions. Attire from the clothing closet also will be available to students at no cost.

"Whataburger is proud to partner with Alabama State University to provide enhanced access to food products and toiletries through the opening of the Alabama State University Student Resource Room powered by Whataburger," Cox said. "With the help of partners like the Montgomery Area Food Bank, students will have year-round access to nutritious food options at no cost to them."

Cox said that the enhanced Student Resource Room is made possible by Whataburger’s three-year commitment of support as part of the Whataburger Feeding Student Success program to help students succeed on their college journey. 
 
The Alabama State University Resource Room powered by Whataburger is the first of its Resource Rooms to open in Alabama and its third to open in the nation.
 

MORE THAN JUST FOOD & CLOTHES 

Davis-Maye told the crowd of well-wishers that the Student Resource Room  also will offer workshops and seminars for ASU students that focus on safe health practices for eating and lifestyle, professional development; and through ASU's Social Work department, provide references to students for other resources both on campus and throughout the community. She explained that these services include varied types of health counseling, employment assistance training and many other forms of resources that benefit and uplift the students.

In addition to the tangible resources, coordinators of the Student Resource Room will assist in the mentorship and educational internships of ASU students by providing informal volunteer peer mentoring opportunities, as well as formal educational internships in countless programs, including those housed within ASU's Social Work department, where faculty will be available to provide confidential assistance to students in need of their services. 

"We want our ASU Student Resource Room to be a welcoming resource to all of the University's students in need," Davis-Maye stated. "Thanks to the wonderful assistance and support by Whataburger, O' Mother Dear has done it again!"

News media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, 334-229-4104. 

ABOUT WHATABURGER

Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 850 locations across its 14-state footprint, and sales of more than $2.8 billion annually. Whataburger has 50,000 Family Members (employees) and more than 60 million customers who like to customize their Whataburgers just the way they like it. Visit whataburger.com or pivot-you.com for more information. To apply for Whataburger jobs now, visit whataburger.com/careers.

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