Endowment honors memory of BCCC’s longest-serving President

Beaufort County Community College student wills receive financial aid for years to come thanks to an endowment established through the BCCC Foundation that honors the memory of BCCC’s longest-serving President.

The Jim Blanton Endowment has been established with donations from Blanton’s wife, Betty, and contributions from other family members and friends following Mr. Blanton’s death in October.

Blanton served as BCCC’s President from 1971 to 1990 and was the longest-serving leader of the institution to date.

“BCCC owes a debt of gratitude to President Blanton for his faithful service to the college and the community,” said Judy Jennette, Foundation director. “It is an honor to announce the creation of this endowment, that will help students attend the college he loved for generations to come.”

A native of Duplin County, Blanton was a medic in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict. He taught at Bath High School for two years and Washington High School for 20 years.

After serving in the county’s public schools, Blanton joined the staff of BCCC, serving as a dean before being named President of Beaufort County Technical Institute, now Beaufort County Community College.

Blanton led BCTI and later, BCCC, to full accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and oversaw the construction of four new buildings on campus, the addition of a College Transfer Program to its curriculum and the approval of a bond referendum to fund construction of new projects at the college.

“Beaufort County Community College would not be the vibrant place it is today without the hard work and dedication of Mr. Blanton,” said BCCC President Barbara Tansey. “The BCCC Foundation is delighted to honor this great leader in education with this endowment.”

The first scholarship from the endowment is expected to be awarded to a student in the Fall 2013 Semester.

For more information about establishing an endowment, interested persons may contact Jennette at 252-940-6327 or by email at judyj@beaufortccc.edu.

Retired BCCC counselor donates funds for scholarship

During her 26-year career at Beaufort County Community College, Sue Brookshire worked with and helped many students.

 “I have seen women with the ability to succeed who could benefit from some financial help,” she said. “Because of my parents’ legacy to my sister and me I am able to offer some help for women on their educational journey.”

As a first-generation college graduate, “learning has been life-long for me. My educational journey included undergraduate study at four colleges and universities in four states,” Brookshire said. “As a young wife and mother, I returned to graduate school at East Carolina University over the course of three decades and earned three master’s degrees. I earned my last degree at the age of 55.”

That’s why Brookshire, who retired in December from the staff at BCCC, established an endowment that will fund scholarships for students who find themselves in a similar situation.

BCCC President Barbara Tansey praised Brookshire’s dedication and generosity in creating the endowment.

“Sue Brookshire, both during her tenure at BCCC and now as she is enjoying her retirement, was and continues to be loved by the students she served. This endowment will continue to be a fitting reminder of that high regard and her dedication to students at the college,” Tansey said.

The endowment will award scholarships to a second-year, female student completing her second semester at BCCC. The student should be 30 years old or older, maintain a 2.5 grade point average or greater and planning to transfer to a four-year college or university to be eligible to receive the scholarship.

Potential candidates must have one of the following circumstances to quality: A life-changing event in the last three years, death of a spouse or a child, divorce, bankruptcy or similar situation or facing a serious health issue.

The BCCC Foundation hopes to award a scholarship from the endowment as early as  the Fall 2013 Semester, according to Foundation Director Judy Jennette.

“The BCCC Foundation is pleased to accept Sue Brookshire’s contribution and we look forward to awarding the first scholarship from the endowment,” she said.

Brookshire, a native of the Carolinas, and her husband, Curtis, moved to Washington from Michigan in 1976 when Curtis Brookshire accepted the position as Chief Engineer of Beverage Product with Hackney and Sons.

Sue Brookshire began work at BCCC administering a federal program designed to improve student retention. While working on this program, she taught students to use available college and community resources to improve their college success rate.

While there, Brookshire helped establish college orientation classes that have increased the likelihood that students, particularly those who are the first in their families to attend college, will persist in their studies.

In addition to teaching duties, Brookshire most recently served as a counselor and as Director of Retention Services. She also served as a director of a mentoring program at the college for African-American male students.

Brookshire and her husband have two sons and two granddaughters. They are active members of the First United Methodist Church in Washington along with other professional and civic organizations.

For more information about creating an endowment for students at BCCC, interested persons should contact Jennette at 252-940-6326.

BCCC Foundation Board of Directors to meet on Jan. 31

The Beaufort County Community College Foundation’s Board of Directors will meet at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, in the board meeting room of Building 10 on the BCCC campus. Reports from various committees, as well as the director’s report, will be presented at this meeting.

Washington Rotary Club donates money for scholarships

The Washington Rotary Club recently presented a check to the Beaufort County Community College Foundation to fund four scholarships to students attending BCCC during the Spring 2013 Semester. Money for the scholarships and other charitable activities is raised by the club through annual events including a barbecue fundraiser and fishing tournament. Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in 167 countries. Pictured above, at left, club Treasurer Phillip Price, and, at right, Immediate Past President Bill Wall, present a check for the scholarships to Foundation Director Judy Jennette. For more information on establishing a scholarship, contact the BCCC Foundation at 940-6326.

Join the BCCC Foundation for a trip to Jersey Boys!

Join the Beaufort County Community College Foundation, Saturday, Nov. 17, for a trip to Durham to see the award-winning stage production of Jersey Boys and enjoy a tour of one of the state’s most renowned garden spots.

The trip will also include meals at two popular restaurants in the Triangle region.

The cost of the trip, open to all BCCC students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the college, is $185 per person. The trip is limited to 30 participants so early registration is recommended.

The price of the trip includes transportation to and from Durham, two meals and tickets for seats in the orchestra section for Jersey Boys at the Durham Performing Arts Center in downtown Durham.

The trip will leave the parking lot at BCCC by 7:45 a.m. and arrive at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum at 10 a.m. Once there, the group will tour the nationally acclaimed garden, with one of the largest and most diverse collections of landscape plants adapted for use in the Southeast.

Following this tour, participants will travel to The Pizzeria in Durham’s West Village for a lunch similar to the ones enjoyed by Frankie Valli and his fellow musicians when they were growing up in the Garden State.

After lunch, the group will travel to DPAC in Durham for a matinee performance of Jersey Boys, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons. This is the story of how four blue-collar kids from New Jersey became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. The musical features hit songs such as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

After the performance, participants will travel to Raleigh, for dinner at Bella Monica restaurant – a popular neighborhood trattoria. The tour is scheduled to return to Beaufort County around 9:30 p.m.

For more information, or to register, contact Marcia Norwood, Foundation specialist, at 252-940-6218, or Judy Jennette, Foundation director, at 252-940-6326. Information is also available on the BCCC News Blog that can be accessed from the college website at www.beaufortccc.edu.

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Join the BCCC Foundation for a trip to see Jersey Boys!

BCCC Foundation Golf Tournament winners announced



Beaufort County Community College Foundation Director Judy Jennette, standing at microphone, announces the start of the 19th Annual BCCC Foundation Golf Tournament held Friday, Sept. 28, at the Washington Yacht and Country Club.



The Beaufort County Community College Foundation’s 19th Annual Golf Tournament drew a field of some 90 players to the Washington Yacht and Country Club on Friday, Sept. 28. And 32 of those players were crowned winners in four flights.

The golf tournament, sponsored by PotashCorp - Aurora, is the largest single fund-raising event for the Foundation and provides money for scholarships and emergency awards to students attending BCCC.

Each year, the tournament raises some $10,000 for the Foundation, according to Director Judy Jennette.

“The BCCC Foundation is very appreciative of the players who participated in the tournament this year as well PotashCorp - Aurora and the tournament co-sponsors for helping raise money for scholarships for deserving students,” she said.

This year, as in past years, the tournament was a four-person, super ball with teams pre-flighted based on each golfer’s handicap.

The 2012 Tournament winners are as follows:

·         Championship Flight: First Place - Curtis Brown, Andy Franklin, Ryan Mooring and Eric Slade; Second Place - Mark Carawan, Joe Carawan, Ben Cole and Paul Spruill;

·         First Flight: First Place - Alan Boyuszak, Mike Calfee, Ben Coleman and Ray Wilson; Second Place - Sid Ashby, Charles Holley, David Lee and Shelton McNair.

·         Second Flight: First Place - Randy Apple, Bobby Morse, Rod Rathbun and Jack Swanner; Second Place - Alton Griffin, Neil James, Robbie Moore and Kain Ross;

·         Third Flight: First Place - Jim Denton, Tony Faulkner, Joe Paul and Matt Woodleif; Second Place - Reggie Beamon, John Easterling, Mark Jungers and Henry Stancill.

Russell Smith, standing at left, chairman of the Beaufort County Community College Board of Trustees, compares notes with Bill Carter at the 19th Annual BCCC Foundation Golf Tournament. The tournament drew a field of about 90 golfers to the Washington Yacht and Country Club.

Four Closet-to-the-Pin prizes were also awarded. Those winners were Hole No. Five - Barr Coleman; Hole No. 10 - Russ Ipock; Hole No. 13 - Russ Ipock; Hole No. 15 - Barr Coleman.

Tournament Co-sponsors were East Carolina Bank, CenturyLink, Lee Chevrolet-Buick, Park Boat Company, Tideland Electric Membership Corp., P & G Manufacturing, Wells Fargo, First South Bank, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Vidant Beaufort Hospital, JKF Architecture, AIA, and Carver Machine Works.

For more information about other BCCC Foundation events, interested persons can contact Jennette at 252-940-6326 or visit the BCCC website at www.beaufortccc.edu.