Four Surry Community College students have benefited from SouthData’s SDI Scholars program, and two are currently full-time employees of the company.

SouthData created the SDI Scholars program to enhance the company’s recruitment efforts. Applicants for the SDI Scholars program must be accepted into Surry Community College, as well as be selected by an interview panel for employment at SouthData.

Kelsey Beck, North Surry High School 2012 graduate and Mount Airy resident, is the newest SDI Scholar. Beck is the daughter of Aubree Wilson and Dallas Beck. She began the program in the fall of 2012.

“We are very excited to have Kelsey Beck on board as the next SDI Scholar,” said Rich Gasser, SouthData’s director of software development. “Her grades and attitude stood out among the other applicants, and we hope she excels in the program at Surry Community College and as a SDI Scholar.”

Justin Puckett, a 2008 graduate of Mount Airy High School, was named the first SDI Scholar. He completed the program in 2010 and is employed as an associate programmer at SouthData. East Surry High School graduate Kendra Johnson and North Surry High School graduate Steven Krause completed the two-year program in the spring of 2012. Johnson is a web publisher at Surry Community College, and Krause is working at SouthData as an associate programmer.

Successful graduates of the program have the opportunity to compete for computer technology positions at SouthData as programmers, data specialists, sales engineers or applications specialists. SouthData is an outsourced business service provider of print and mail, computer support, and document scanning.

In the spring, SouthData will solicit applications for the 2013 SDI Scholars, who will receive scholarships in computer information technology at Surry Community College along with on the job training at the company.

For more information about the SDI Scholars Program, contact SouthData’s Human Resources Director Joan Inman at 719-5000 or jsinman@southdata.com. Applicants should apply online at http://www.southdata.com/Scholars/Default.aspx.