From Beaufort County Community College 

Students attending Beaufort County Community College and receiving aid through the BCCC Foundation had a chance to dine with their benefactors.

The annual Legacy Luncheon brings together future accountants, auto mechanics, business owners, electrical engineers, nurses and teachers, along with the contributors, many of whom are established in those fields.

Two BCCC ambassadors shared their stories of how they came to BCCC and about their experience at the college. Zack Holton, an ambassador for the 2016-2017 year, spoke of his negative experiences at another community college and high school, and how engaged he has become at BCCC. He described the exact moment he decided to return to school to pursue a degree.

“It was January. I was waist deep in mud. I was surrounded by fish,” he recalled. While he enjoyed the income he was earning at a fish farm, he was ready to move on to something different. Holton enrolled in the mechanical engineering technology program at BCCC.

Current ambassador Lisa Reid shared her experience of returning to school later in life.

When her daughter rolled her eyes at helping her through the enrollment process, Reid turned to her and asked, “Who took you to your first day of pre-school?”

Reid will be continuing at East Carolina University this summer with the intention to become a marriage and family therapist focusing on substance abuse counseling.

Ambassadors are nominated by faculty and receive a one-year tuition scholarship. They help market BCCC’s programs and services. Ambassadors submit a resume and go through an interview process.

Matthew Lincoln, lead instructor for the mechanical engineering technology program, recounted his own experience at BCCC. Lincoln enrolled at the college after working in construction. After graduating, he worked at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point before returning to teach mechanical engineering at BCCC.

Helen Sommerkamp Inman, vice chair of the BCCC Foundation, spoke about the need for innovation and how students should not let doubters stand in their way.

The BCCC Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization established in 1984 to provide community-based support for the college in achieving its educational and workforce development goals. Through the Foundation, generous donors provide support for scholarships, institutional programs, faculty and staff development and facility improvements.

New scholarships become available as community members work with the Foundation to provide new opportunities. This year the Beaufort County Mental Health Association set up the John and Geneva Morgan Endowment. The scholarship represents the tireless efforts of John and Geneva Morgan as they advocated for citizens affected by mental illness.

Geneva Morgan’s nursing career spanned 40 years of service providing pediatric care.

She also focused on alleviating the stigma associated with mental illness. It was the care, compassion and wellbeing for the often-forgotten patient that gave her the most joy. John became her partner in advocacy after retirement. The two modeled civic responsibility and community engagement that others should aspire to emulate. Nursing students residing in Beaufort County with a minimum GPA of 2.5 are eligible for the scholarship.

Activities of the Foundation are overseen by a 24-member board of directors comprised of civic and business leaders from BCCC’s four-county service area. The BCCC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all contributions are tax deductible.

Mr. Rod Cantrell, financial advisor at Edward Jones, sponsored the Legacy Luncheon for the fourth year in a row. The Foundation has provided educational opportunities this year to 112 deserving BCCC students by awarding more than $85,000 in scholarships.

For additional information on contributing to the BCCC Foundation or applying for scholarships, contact BCCC Foundation Director Serena Sullivan at 252-940-6326 or serena.sullivan@beaufortccc.edu.