College Welcome Program highlights college-town impact
SALISBURY, Md –The College Welcome program has been in the works for 22 years and one of our own started the program in 2004, WMDT’s general manager, Stephanie Willey.
She shared how the city of Salisbury values its surrounding college kids. “when I was president of the Chamber of Commerce, and I was also serving on the Town-Gown Council at Salisbury University. And I recognized that was very important to send a positive message from the business community to our college students about the tremendous economic impact they bring to our community.”
When Stephanie Willey retired as president of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, she left this program as her legacy. Current president and CEO bill chambers says he wanted to continue the program’s legacy.
“It’s a real community initiative.” Chambers said. “We’re really fortunate, and many communities don’t have what we have to have. Three higher learning institutions, all located in the same geographical area. It’s a real economic engine for our region—not just Wicomico County and Salisbury, but really a boost the economy of the entire lower Eastern Shore.”
August 18th marks the start of billboard welcome messages in five locations with sponsorship from Hebron Savings Bank, Clear Channel, and Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce.
Local businesses can also pick up flyers to put up around their businesses. The retail and restaurant community is excited when school starts because it means that the slow summer season is coming to an end.” said Chambers.
Willey and Chambers agreed that students bring economic, volunteer, and future driven impact to Salisbury.
Willey said, “as we build and grow in Salisbury, continue to develop that we retain our young people in this market. You know, they’re our next generation of business leaders.”
Chambers added, “Welcome our college students back earnestly. They’re here. They want to contribute. We want them to stay when they graduate. And we want to be a welcoming community.”
Willey shared that if you are a business that wants to put up a poster welcoming college students, you can reach out to the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce to arrange a time to pick them up.
