In a recent presentation at Ogeechee Technical College, Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home announced its plans to endow a scholarship for the school's Funeral Service Program.
“We are proud to announce our partnership with the OTC Foundation and to support students seeking careers in funeral service education,” said Mark Anderson, owner of Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home.
The accredited program is one of the largest programs at OTC with over 100 students. A minimum of $25,000 is required to fund an endowed scholarship at Ogeechee Tech.
“Not only am I proud to call myself an alumnus of Ogeechee Tech, but as an owner of a funeral home I see firsthand how quickly our field is growing and how important it is to support students seeking degrees in funeral service education,” said Anderson.
Serving a grieving community
At the same meeting, students in the program heard from a mortuary specialist about burying the perpetrator of a mass killing.
“Martha Thayer is a fellow funeral professional who lived and learned through great tragedy in the wake of the Columbine school shooting,” said Michele Rupar, funeral services program director.
Thayer is the former program chair of the mortuary science department at Arapahoe Community College. She received emeritus status in 2020 after a 25-plus year career of teaching.
In the two-hour presentation, Thayer described her experience working with the families. She included every detail from receiving the initial phone call about the mass killing, through to directing the funeral service.
“Our program had the fortunate experience of hearing firsthand what it means to serve a grieving community, as well as the challenging responsibility of burying the perpetrator,” said Rupar.
For more information on OTC's Funeral Service Program, visit the program website.
