Pratibha “Rani” Juneja, a member of the Fayetteville Technical Community College Foundation Board of Directors, was celebrated at the College on Wednesday, April 30, for her and her family’s dedicated support of FTCC and its mission through creation of several endowed scholarships.

Every year since 2019, the Juneja family has given money to create a new endowed scholarship at FTCC. Their gifts have totaled $84,000 for six scholarships, which are part of a grouping called the Juneja Family Legacy Endowed Scholarships. Smiling, Mrs. Juneja said she may not be done creating scholarships at FTCC.

FTCC President Dr. Mark Sorrells told Rani Juneja at the celebration that the scholarships have been, and will continue to be, impactful for many students for years to come. He thanked her for her remarkable and commendable generosity.

The Juneja family’s relationship with the Foundation started in 2019 when Rani and her husband, Parshotam “Paul” Juneja, gave $15,000 to establish what was then known as the Juneja Parshotam, Lal Devi and Bansi Lal Endowed Engineering Scholarship, named in honor of Paul Juneja’s parents. The donation was made on Nov. 11 of that year, Paul Juneja’s 89th birthday.

Paul Juneja died in August 2020, but his legacy lives on through the Juneja Family Legacy Endowed Scholarships, reflecting his belief in the importance of education.

“Paul was always smiling and just wanted to help people,” Rani Juneja said in a press release. “Education was very important to him, and he thought everyone should have the opportunity to learn.”

Rani Juneja shares the same belief. In 2021, she established a second scholarship in memory of her parents. Also in 2021, Rani joined the FTCC Foundation Board of Directors and became an active member of the board. She continued to establish a new scholarship each year thereafter to honor Paul and their family. She was honored with the FTCC Foundation Philanthropy Award in 2024.

Five of the scholarships funded by the Juneja family are designated for specific areas of study. The newest will have a focus to be determined later.

The designations carry special meanings.

• The Juneja P. Engineering Scholarship was established in celebration of Mr. Parshotam “Paul” Juneja’s 89th birthday and in memory of his parents, Bansi Lal and Lal Devi.
• The Juneja P. General Education Scholarship was established in memory of Rani’s parents, Shanti & Chuni Lall Sawhney.
• The Juneja P. Information Technology Scholarship was established to honor Paul’s passion for photography and to assist students in the Digital Media Technology program.
• The Juneja P. Nursing Scholarship was established in honor of the medical personnel who helped Paul throughout his various illnesses and to honor the life of their son Prateek who recovered from a drowning accident.
• The Juneja P. Systems Security and Analysis Scholarship was established to assist students who are enrolled in various IT programs.

Paul Juneja, a retired engineer, was born in India in 1930, one of eight children born to Bansi Lal, a math author and attorney, and Lal Devi.

In his youth, Paul showed little interest in education until an encounter with a teacher who took a special interest in him and encouraged him to do well. The experience changed the trajectory of his life.

In India, Mr. Juneja earned a Bachelor of Arts in Math and a degree in engineering from BIT Sindri. He graduated at the top of his class with honors and was vice chair of the school’s hockey team.

In 1959, Paul was sent by the Indian government to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to learn about steel manufacturing. He then returned to India, where he would spend 15 years with the Hindustan Steel Industry.

In 1962, Paul married Rani. The couple have two sons, Prateek and Puneet.

The Junejas immigrated to the United States in 1975 with just $7. Paul Juneja was hired by U.S. Steel in Gary, Indiana, and worked there for 10 years. During that time, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree and certification in professional engineering.

In 1985, Paul was hired by the U.S. Army as a civilian engineer. His initial assignment was in Fort Worth, Texas. He later transferred to Pope Air Force Base and Fort Bragg before retiring in Fayetteville in 1995.

In retirement, Paul pursued hobbies such as reading, gardening, photography and playing bridge while making time to travel the world with Rani.