Spartanburg Community College Announces New Faculty Staff Endowment at First Annual Rick Teal Memorial Walk

On Tuesday, November 8th, Spartanburg Community College held the first annual Rick Teal Memorial Walk as part of its yearly internal giving campaign in support of the SCC Foundation, OneSCC. The walk was held in honor of the late Mr. Rick Teal, SCC’s Vice President of Human Resources, who passed away in 2021 following a fight with cancer. Following the walk, SCC leadership announced the Rick Teal Employee Memorial Fund for Employee Engagement and Recognition would be permanently endowed thanks to the amount of funds raised in its support.

"The outpouring of enthusiasm and support for Mr. Teal by the College staff and retirees is tremendous," said John Jaraczewski. Executive Director of the SCC Foundation. "Through their gifts, the Foundation will endow the funds and celebrate Rick’s legacy of service in perpetuity."

"I am truly thankful to Dr. Mikota and the College for making Rick feel like part of the family," said Ashley Teal, Mr. Teal's widow. "Thank you so much for honoring him and for continuing to support this great College. I love that his name will continue here even when he personally can’t be with us."

"The amazing thing about this new fund is that it is dedicated to our faculty and staff," said Dr. Michael Mikota, President of SCC. "Rick’s life was rooted in a desire to travel and explore, and each and every one of our employees has a purpose and passion beyond what they do each day at SCC – a special characteristic or hobby they have that drives their ambition. Through this fund, we can now invest in those personal and professional developments and activities and support our faculty and staff in ways we never have before."

More than 150 SCC faculty and staff members donated $20 to participate in a one mile walk around the Giles Campus, one of only five recognized arboretums in Spartanburg County, in honor of Mr. Rick Teal. At the completion of the walk, Mr. Jaraczewski announced that over the course of the last four weeks, more than $13,000 was raised specifically for the fund from both current and former employees of the College, enabling the SCC Foundation to endow this fund in perpetuity in honor of Mr. Teal and his legacy.

Mr. Teal served as the VP of Human Resources at Spartanburg Community College for over a decade until his passing in August 2021. Even through rigorous chemo treatments, he worked to maintain the spirit of family at the College. A self-described foodie, Beatle-maniac, and Gamecock fan, Rick’s love of life spread to all who knew him. The Rick Teal Employee Memorial Fund commemorates this love of life by supporting SCC faculty and staff in pursuit of their passions through personal development.