Amarillo College formally expressed its greatest appreciation for the institution-altering generosity of some particularly steadfast benefactors by attaching their names to a building, a center and a mall—in perpetuity.

In a special ceremony conducted Sept. 29th during the AC Foundation’s 52nd annual meeting, signage on the Washington Street Campus was unveiled in commemoration of the Ware Student Commons, the Natalie Buckthal Tutoring Center (located within), and the open-air Oeschger Family Mall (adjacent).

The lead gift of $1 million was given by Amarillo National Bank, owned by the Ware Family. ANB Chairman and President Richard Ware II says the bank views the donation as an investment in Amarillo’s future.

“Amarillo College is the place for first-generation college students to get their start, then enter Amarillo’s workforce and contribute to the local economy,” Ware said. “We want to provide these students with a comfortable place to study, to socialize, and get ready for class.”

Repurposing the library building to serve as a student commons has long been high on the College’s wish list, and renovations to the building’s first floor began this summer.

“I am overwhelmed by the support and generosity of our community partners,” AC President Russell Lower-Hart said. “They understand AC and our students are the future of our shared community, and they were ready and willing to help.”

Once the transformation is complete—sometime next spring—AC students who enter the Ware Student Commons will become deservedly immersed in the long-awaited vanguard of the College’s No Excuses initiatives, a one-stop nerve center for student success.

Staff will be in place to curb virtually any confusion, especially among those making their first foray into higher education. Components include the Career and Employment Center, a critical area assisting students moving into the workforce, multi-user computer stations, and the Natalie Buckthal Tutoring Center, where students will receive “one-on-one” attention.   

The Tutoring Center, donated by the W.P. Buckthal Family, is named for the late Natalie Buckthal, a longtime member of the AC faculty and of boards governing the AC Foundation and the Amarillo Museum of Art.

To access the Ware Student Commons, visitors likely will traverse the newly reconstructed mall area east of the building, a span henceforth to be known as the Oeschger Family Mall. Sharon and Larry Oeschger are passionate philanthropists and more than just friends of AC; Sharon served three terms on the College’s Board of Regents and has chaired the AC Foundation Board.

“These people did not make contributions in order to see their names on Amarillo College Buildings; that was our idea,” Kathy Dowdy, Co-Executive Director of the AC Foundation, said. “Each of these families recognizes that Amarillo College students today face barriers to success that require a concerted effort to overcome, and they have chosen to be part of the solution—for the benefit of our students and, ultimately, for the betterment of our community as a whole.”

September 29, 2015