(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA)—When Andrew Kelleher of Newtown Square decided to take an Emergency Medical Technician training course at Delaware County Community College, he took time to get to know his fellow students—and realized that many were struggling financially to continue their studies. He and his wife, Sharon, began discussing how they could help. Together, they launched the Kelleher Connect Career Opportunity Fund through their family foundation, inspired by Andrew’s experience and their shared commitment to supporting students. The fund provides financial assistance to DCCC students enrolled in trades programs.

Now, the Kellehers want to do even more to help build the region’s skilled trades workforce—and hope Delaware and Chester County individuals and businesses will join them.

“The demand for skilled workers in the region is unbelievable,” Andrew Kelleher says. In partnership with the Delaware County Community College Educational Foundation, Andrew and Sharon have launched the Kelleher Family Foundation $250,000 Match Challenge. Now through December 31, 2025, any capital gift of any size for DCCC’s upcoming new Southeast Center in Drexel Hill will be matched by the Kellehers—toward the goal of providing life-changing opportunities to residents of neighboring communities. The Match Challenge is designed to help DCCC complete the construction and outfitting of the Southeast Center, set to open in Spring 2026.

The College is transforming the former Archbishop Prendergast High School property into a comprehensive, multimillion-dollar education and workforce training facility that will provide affordable and quality education, training, and community programs to area residents. The DCCC Educational Foundation’s Building Community Campaign is raising funds to complete the new building, with the Match Challenge being a key part of those efforts.

“The driving force behind the Challenge is to provide young people with an opportunity that’s not the traditional four-year model going to college, since that’s not the right path for everyone. We are making another investment because we believe DCCC’s Southeast Center is going to be tremendous and that thousands of students are going to benefit,” Andrew Kelleher says. “Our efforts will help ensure pathways to good jobs for more people and a well-prepared workforce for more of our region’s businesses.”

A key part of the new Southeast Center will be the Kelleher Annex for Workforce Development, which will be a starting point for students interested in careers in high-demand fields. The annex will feature labs and learning spaces focused on biotechnology, electronics, and other in-demand technical fields, directly connecting students to local industries and career pathways.

Additionally, the new building will feature industry-grade, state-of-the-art learning spaces for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies students; Advanced Sciences labs and classrooms; an Early Childhood Learning Center to train the next generation of educators; and more.

“This is more than a building. This is a bold step forward for our region,” said DCCC President Dr. Marta Yera Cronin. “We are grateful to the Kellehers for championing the Southeast Center and showcasing how transformational and life-changing it will be for local residents.”

Adds Andrew Kelleher, “Other states will soon be looking to Pennsylvania as a model for job creation. This is an opportunity to make a real and lasting impact on so many lives.”

To donate directly, visit givecampus.com/schools/DelawareCountyCommunityCollege/match-challenge. To learn more about the Building Community Campaign, visit www.dccc.edu/campaign. For more information on how you or your business can get involved in the campaign, contact Dr. Laura Chisholm, DCCC Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the DCCC Educational Foundation, at lchisholm1@dccc.edu.