BRCC Community Link Newsletter, Spring 2020

Non Profit Org. U. S. Postage and Fees Paid BRCC

F&M Bank Funds Scholarships

BRCC EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, INC

Students Shine in Difficult Times

Pictured from left to right are: Debbie Koogler, Branch Manager, F&M Bank; Renee Hartless, Assistant Vice President, F&M Bank; Mary Pavlovskaya, Business Deposit Services Officer, F&M Bank; BRCC President John Downey; BRCC Educational Foundation Executive Director Amy Laser Kiger; and Dan Layman, President and CEO, Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.

I

n this time of uncertainty, we are inspired by this message from the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System:

R

epresentatives from F&M Bank and the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge present the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation with a $2,000 check to support scholarships for students from Augusta and Rockingham Counties.

W

“This is incredibly important work. Just look around this emergency—the first responders, the hospital nurses, the truck drivers keeping food and supplies coming to our stores, and so many more—our society depends on community college-trained people to function, especially in its darkest moments.”

You Can Make a Difference Blue Ridge Fund

-Chancellor Glenn DuBois

ith your continued support, BRCC students are able to make their educational dreams come true. The Blue Ridge Fund provides steady scholarship support, as well as funding for instructional technology, faculty innovation and staff professional development, improving the educational experience for all students. If you want to be a part of building the dreams of today’s students while ensuring them one of the finest educations available, then make your gift to the Blue Ridge Fund today. Online giving has never been easier! Scan this code to make a donation now to the BRCC Educational Foundation, Inc. Great Community Give June 24, 2020 Support BRCC online at https://donate.greatcommunitygive.org/ organizations/blue-ridge-community-collegeeducational-foundation

Please let us know of your plans, and allow us to publicize your name along with the other people who have so thoughtfully remembered the College. If you have included the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation in your estate planning, or would like further information, please contact Amy Laser Kiger at (540) 453-2211, KigerA@brcc.edu, or Post Office Box 80, Weyers Cave, VA 24486-0080.

As you may know, our Spring Fling Auction, originally scheduled in April, has been postponed to a later date. Though we don’t know when, we know that this pandemic will come to an end. When it does, we will determine a date for the rescheduled Spring Fling and will communicate that with you. We know that our students will need the opportunities provided by a BRCC education even more after these challenging times.

Save the Date!

T

he Blue Ridge Vision Society encourages all who support the College’s mission to use their financial and estate planning to help the College maintain the affordable access and educational excellence our community expects and deserves.

When you make a place for the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation in your long-term planning, you are making a difference for generations of BRCC students to come, and helping to educate the deserving students of tomorrow. When you inform Blue Ridge Community College that you have done so, you lead by example, encouraging others to do likewise.

The students featured in this issue of Community Link showcase just how true this is.

Our graduates are on the front line now more than ever, and will be in the time to come, helping to support our community in ways we often take for granted.

Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. P. O. Box 80 Weyers Cave, VA 24486 (540) 453-2211 www.brcc.edu/EdFound

Leaving a Legacy for Future BRCC Students

Spring 2020

Though currently teleworking, BRCC Educational Foundation staff will continue processing mail on a weekly basis, and gifts may also be made online through Network for Good at this link: https://bit.ly/33SVVUS. In addition, please consider supporting BRCC and our students on June 24 through the Great Community Give, an online giving day sponsored by The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Use this link (on June 24 only) to donate online: https://donate. greatcommunitygive.org/organizations/blue-ridge-community-college-educationalfoundation Thank you again for your support of the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation. Please know that your continued investment makes an important difference for our students, our college, and our community.

BRCC Educational Foundation Board Chair Mary Louise Leake, Vice Chair Matthias N. Smith, Secretary John A. Downey, Treasurer Cynthia F. Page Kelly R.S. Blosser Kenneth R. Boward Rob W. Cale

Karen C. Clark Kenneth S. Cleveland III Douglas G. Driver

Silvia T. Garcia-Romero Teresa H. Gauldin Mary McDermott

Thomas C. Mendez David R. Metz Tassie L. Pippert

Sacha Purciful Justin T. Rexrode William M. Saxman Jr.

Jerry D. Sheets Alan L. Shelton Linnea J. Spradlin

Ruth E. Jones Turner Pamela K. Ungar Andrew P. Vanhook

Community Link is an official publication of the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation. It is distributed to friends in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as BRCC faculty and staff, and is published quarterly by the Development Office, Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave, VA 24486. If you have any questions or comments regarding this publication, please contact Angie Glenn, Development Services Coordinator, at (540) 453-2307 or glenna@brcc.edu.

BRCC Alumni Spotlight

Celina Delivers: CDL Grad Loves Life on the Highway

by Cathy Sliwoski

C elina McBride has always liked the idea of traveling. Now that she’s been on the

road with her Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) from Blue Ridge Community College, she has “learned to love it!” She’s been driving a Target-dedicated truck for Schneider National for a year and a half.

“The instructors are great. They take extra time with you,” said Celina. “They don’t push you to do anything before you’re ready. The number one goal here is to build safe, smart truck drivers.”

Bill Byrd, CDL training coordinator, explained the structure and goals of the program. In the five-week course, students spend the first week in the classroom going over regulations, logbook requirements, communication, using the simulator, etc. He assigns over a dozen videos to supplement classroom instruction that students must complete before testing. In the second week, two or three students assigned to a specific instructor and truck begin their time behind the big wheel on BRCC’s driving range in Verona.

“Our program is comprehensive, but it is hard to get to everything in 200 hours,” said Byrd. “That’s why these videos that they can watch on their own really help.”

Students average 600 miles on the road during training but only about 20 percent of that is on the interstate.

“The skill set is obtained on secondary roads,” said Byrd. “We take them over the mountain or out to Monterey, where they deal with space management issues, changes of speed. That’s where they really learn to drive.”

Celina drives Sunday through Thursday nights, picking up cargo at the Target Distribution Center in Stuarts Draft and delivering it to a Target store in suburban Maryland. That means she takes heavily travelled highways, but since she drives at night, it’s not during rush hour. The final 40 miles of the trek are on a secondary road, so the BRCC training pays off.

“They teach everything thoroughly,” said Celina. “There are no surprises when you go to take the test. You are trained with quality.” She trained on a 1996 Kenworth T-800 tractor, which she refers to as “her baby.”

Celina is an enthusiastic Blue Ridge advocate. She is busy trying to convince a friend in Pennsylvania to move here to do the CDL program. “I hope I can come back to talk with students about my experiences and also recruit them into the field.”

Although the percentage of females in trucking is still small, the number is growing and Celina is encouraged by that.

“Women are definitely coming into the industry. It can be intimidating at times, but you have to know who you are and what you’re good at,” she said. “Truck driving can be a great career for women. There is a big demand. It is a steady income with good benefits.”

Cybersecurity Jobs Stay Local

Making Steady Progress: Alison Wilkins

by Cathy Sliwoski

T he FastForward program in Workforce and Continuing Education seems perfectly suited to an adult student like Alison Wilkins. She enrolled at Blue Ridge

Community College in the fall of 2018, first obtaining her Medical Office Assistant credential, then continuing to seek knowledge and skills in pursuit of additional, stackable credentials, like Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and Registered Medical Assistant. Her ultimate goal is making a better life for herself and her young daughter.

“BRCC instructors are willing to work with you,” says Alison. “They understand that everybody in the class is coming to it from different dynamics.

Some are looking for their first career, but most are coming back to school with complicated lives.

They are willing to accommodate the needs that you have.”

B

RCC students will be performing cybersecurity assessments for federal contractors in Virginia as part of a $1.4 million Department of Defense grant awarded to GENEDGE Alliance. The funding covers a variety of services to assist Defense Department suppliers in putting cybersecurity risk management systems in place, to comply with the National Institute of Standards and Technology for cybersecurity.

The BRCC students received reduced-cost training from a separate GO Virginia Cyber Security grant awarded to BRCC in 2018. The goal of the grant is to train and employ 50 Tier I Cyber Security Analysts by July 2020, and to partner with a local company to offer in-demand, excellent-paying employment opportunities.

Melissa Lambert, WCE Alison Wilkins (l) with Melissa Lambert, WCE Healthcare Instructor Healthcare Instructor, says of Alison: “She has been a joy to teach and a great resource for fellow students. She is the epitome of what a Workforce and Continuing Education student strives to be-hardworking, dedicated, flexible, and driven. I know Allison will accomplish her goals and be an outstanding Registered Medical Assistant in our community.”

Most FastForward credential programs take between six and 12 weeks and are designed so students can get their education while they work. The program discounts WCE classes by 2/3 for Virginia residents. “FastForward funding really helps,” Alison says. “I doubt I would have been able to afford it otherwise.”

In addition, Alison did phlebotomy training at BRCC. Previously, she worked at Sentara RMH for several years on a medical/surgical floor doing direct patient care like answering patient call bells, assisting with physical therapy, blood draws, EKGs, dressing, bathing, etc. Currently, she is working a front desk position at Sentara RMH Integrative Medicine, but says she wants to return to patient care in a different role than before.

“In patient care, I like to be someone that patients can depend on,” says the Augusta County native. “I want to advocate for them to help them get better. It’s important to educate them on the resources available.” She says a long-term educational objective might be a nursing degree to work in a specialty such as cardiology or nephrology.

When Alison first tried attending college, her heart wasn’t in it. She was away from home for the first time, finding it difficult to balance classwork, sports, and a social life.

Her studies at BRCC tell a different story.

Alison notes, “I see the importance of education now. I see it differently now that I’m a mom. I want to make a better life for my daughter.”

GO Virginia cybersecurtiy bootcamp participants and instructors.

Three recent graduates of the BRCC Cybersecurity program Karen, Jay, and Ashley are all Cybersecurity Analysts with Tiber Creek Consulting. While the company is based in Fairfax, VA, they have a remote office in downtown Waynesboro, VA

The Go Virginia training program includes a security review course, CompTIA Security+ Exam, Cybrary online training, and on-the-job training, and takes approximately three months to complete. Prospective students may contact Dan OBrien, GO Virginia cyber security program manager and instructor, at (540) 453-2254 or obriend@brcc.edu, or visit Go Virginia Grant for more information.

BRCC Alumni Spotlight

Celina Delivers: CDL Grad Loves Life on the Highway

by Cathy Sliwoski

C elina McBride has always liked the idea of traveling. Now that she’s been on the

road with her Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) from Blue Ridge Community College, she has “learned to love it!” She’s been driving a Target-dedicated truck for Schneider National for a year and a half.

“The instructors are great. They take extra time with you,” said Celina. “They don’t push you to do anything before you’re ready. The number one goal here is to build safe, smart truck drivers.”

Bill Byrd, CDL training coordinator, explained the structure and goals of the program. In the five-week course, students spend the first week in the classroom going over regulations, logbook requirements, communication, using the simulator, etc. He assigns over a dozen videos to supplement classroom instruction that students must complete before testing. In the second week, two or three students assigned to a specific instructor and truck begin their time behind the big wheel on BRCC’s driving range in Verona.

“Our program is comprehensive, but it is hard to get to everything in 200 hours,” said Byrd. “That’s why these videos that they can watch on their own really help.”

Students average 600 miles on the road during training but only about 20 percent of that is on the interstate.

“The skill set is obtained on secondary roads,” said Byrd. “We take them over the mountain or out to Monterey, where they deal with space management issues, changes of speed. That’s where they really learn to drive.”

Celina drives Sunday through Thursday nights, picking up cargo at the Target Distribution Center in Stuarts Draft and delivering it to a Target store in suburban Maryland. That means she takes heavily travelled highways, but since she drives at night, it’s not during rush hour. The final 40 miles of the trek are on a secondary road, so the BRCC training pays off.

“They teach everything thoroughly,” said Celina. “There are no surprises when you go to take the test. You are trained with quality.” She trained on a 1996 Kenworth T-800 tractor, which she refers to as “her baby.”

Celina is an enthusiastic Blue Ridge advocate. She is busy trying to convince a friend in Pennsylvania to move here to do the CDL program. “I hope I can come back to talk with students about my experiences and also recruit them into the field.”

Although the percentage of females in trucking is still small, the number is growing and Celina is encouraged by that.

“Women are definitely coming into the industry. It can be intimidating at times, but you have to know who you are and what you’re good at,” she said. “Truck driving can be a great career for women. There is a big demand. It is a steady income with good benefits.”

Cybersecurity Jobs Stay Local

Making Steady Progress: Alison Wilkins

by Cathy Sliwoski

T he FastForward program in Workforce and Continuing Education seems perfectly suited to an adult student like Alison Wilkins. She enrolled at Blue Ridge

Community College in the fall of 2018, first obtaining her Medical Office Assistant credential, then continuing to seek knowledge and skills in pursuit of additional, stackable credentials, like Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and Registered Medical Assistant. Her ultimate goal is making a better life for herself and her young daughter.

“BRCC instructors are willing to work with you,” says Alison. “They understand that everybody in the class is coming to it from different dynamics.

Some are looking for their first career, but most are coming back to school with complicated lives.

They are willing to accommodate the needs that you have.”

B

RCC students will be performing cybersecurity assessments for federal contractors in Virginia as part of a $1.4 million Department of Defense grant awarded to GENEDGE Alliance. The funding covers a variety of services to assist Defense Department suppliers in putting cybersecurity risk management systems in place, to comply with the National Institute of Standards and Technology for cybersecurity.

The BRCC students received reduced-cost training from a separate GO Virginia Cyber Security grant awarded to BRCC in 2018. The goal of the grant is to train and employ 50 Tier I Cyber Security Analysts by July 2020, and to partner with a local company to offer in-demand, excellent-paying employment opportunities.

Melissa Lambert, WCE Alison Wilkins (l) with Melissa Lambert, WCE Healthcare Instructor Healthcare Instructor, says of Alison: “She has been a joy to teach and a great resource for fellow students. She is the epitome of what a Workforce and Continuing Education student strives to be-hardworking, dedicated, flexible, and driven. I know Allison will accomplish her goals and be an outstanding Registered Medical Assistant in our community.”

Most FastForward credential programs take between six and 12 weeks and are designed so students can get their education while they work. The program discounts WCE classes by 2/3 for Virginia residents. “FastForward funding really helps,” Alison says. “I doubt I would have been able to afford it otherwise.”

In addition, Alison did phlebotomy training at BRCC. Previously, she worked at Sentara RMH for several years on a medical/surgical floor doing direct patient care like answering patient call bells, assisting with physical therapy, blood draws, EKGs, dressing, bathing, etc. Currently, she is working a front desk position at Sentara RMH Integrative Medicine, but says she wants to return to patient care in a different role than before.

“In patient care, I like to be someone that patients can depend on,” says the Augusta County native. “I want to advocate for them to help them get better. It’s important to educate them on the resources available.” She says a long-term educational objective might be a nursing degree to work in a specialty such as cardiology or nephrology.

When Alison first tried attending college, her heart wasn’t in it. She was away from home for the first time, finding it difficult to balance classwork, sports, and a social life.

Her studies at BRCC tell a different story.

Alison notes, “I see the importance of education now. I see it differently now that I’m a mom. I want to make a better life for my daughter.”

GO Virginia cybersecurtiy bootcamp participants and instructors.

Three recent graduates of the BRCC Cybersecurity program Karen, Jay, and Ashley are all Cybersecurity Analysts with Tiber Creek Consulting. While the company is based in Fairfax, VA, they have a remote office in downtown Waynesboro, VA

The Go Virginia training program includes a security review course, CompTIA Security+ Exam, Cybrary online training, and on-the-job training, and takes approximately three months to complete. Prospective students may contact Dan OBrien, GO Virginia cyber security program manager and instructor, at (540) 453-2254 or obriend@brcc.edu, or visit Go Virginia Grant for more information.

BRCC Alumni Spotlight

Celina Delivers: CDL Grad Loves Life on the Highway

by Cathy Sliwoski

C elina McBride has always liked the idea of traveling. Now that she’s been on the

road with her Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) from Blue Ridge Community College, she has “learned to love it!” She’s been driving a Target-dedicated truck for Schneider National for a year and a half.

“The instructors are great. They take extra time with you,” said Celina. “They don’t push you to do anything before you’re ready. The number one goal here is to build safe, smart truck drivers.”

Bill Byrd, CDL training coordinator, explained the structure and goals of the program. In the five-week course, students spend the first week in the classroom going over regulations, logbook requirements, communication, using the simulator, etc. He assigns over a dozen videos to supplement classroom instruction that students must complete before testing. In the second week, two or three students assigned to a specific instructor and truck begin their time behind the big wheel on BRCC’s driving range in Verona.

“Our program is comprehensive, but it is hard to get to everything in 200 hours,” said Byrd. “That’s why these videos that they can watch on their own really help.”

Students average 600 miles on the road during training but only about 20 percent of that is on the interstate.

“The skill set is obtained on secondary roads,” said Byrd. “We take them over the mountain or out to Monterey, where they deal with space management issues, changes of speed. That’s where they really learn to drive.”

Celina drives Sunday through Thursday nights, picking up cargo at the Target Distribution Center in Stuarts Draft and delivering it to a Target store in suburban Maryland. That means she takes heavily travelled highways, but since she drives at night, it’s not during rush hour. The final 40 miles of the trek are on a secondary road, so the BRCC training pays off.

“They teach everything thoroughly,” said Celina. “There are no surprises when you go to take the test. You are trained with quality.” She trained on a 1996 Kenworth T-800 tractor, which she refers to as “her baby.”

Celina is an enthusiastic Blue Ridge advocate. She is busy trying to convince a friend in Pennsylvania to move here to do the CDL program. “I hope I can come back to talk with students about my experiences and also recruit them into the field.”

Although the percentage of females in trucking is still small, the number is growing and Celina is encouraged by that.

“Women are definitely coming into the industry. It can be intimidating at times, but you have to know who you are and what you’re good at,” she said. “Truck driving can be a great career for women. There is a big demand. It is a steady income with good benefits.”

Cybersecurity Jobs Stay Local

Making Steady Progress: Alison Wilkins

by Cathy Sliwoski

T he FastForward program in Workforce and Continuing Education seems perfectly suited to an adult student like Alison Wilkins. She enrolled at Blue Ridge

Community College in the fall of 2018, first obtaining her Medical Office Assistant credential, then continuing to seek knowledge and skills in pursuit of additional, stackable credentials, like Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and Registered Medical Assistant. Her ultimate goal is making a better life for herself and her young daughter.

“BRCC instructors are willing to work with you,” says Alison. “They understand that everybody in the class is coming to it from different dynamics.

Some are looking for their first career, but most are coming back to school with complicated lives.

They are willing to accommodate the needs that you have.”

B

RCC students will be performing cybersecurity assessments for federal contractors in Virginia as part of a $1.4 million Department of Defense grant awarded to GENEDGE Alliance. The funding covers a variety of services to assist Defense Department suppliers in putting cybersecurity risk management systems in place, to comply with the National Institute of Standards and Technology for cybersecurity.

The BRCC students received reduced-cost training from a separate GO Virginia Cyber Security grant awarded to BRCC in 2018. The goal of the grant is to train and employ 50 Tier I Cyber Security Analysts by July 2020, and to partner with a local company to offer in-demand, excellent-paying employment opportunities.

Melissa Lambert, WCE Alison Wilkins (l) with Melissa Lambert, WCE Healthcare Instructor Healthcare Instructor, says of Alison: “She has been a joy to teach and a great resource for fellow students. She is the epitome of what a Workforce and Continuing Education student strives to be-hardworking, dedicated, flexible, and driven. I know Allison will accomplish her goals and be an outstanding Registered Medical Assistant in our community.”

Most FastForward credential programs take between six and 12 weeks and are designed so students can get their education while they work. The program discounts WCE classes by 2/3 for Virginia residents. “FastForward funding really helps,” Alison says. “I doubt I would have been able to afford it otherwise.”

In addition, Alison did phlebotomy training at BRCC. Previously, she worked at Sentara RMH for several years on a medical/surgical floor doing direct patient care like answering patient call bells, assisting with physical therapy, blood draws, EKGs, dressing, bathing, etc. Currently, she is working a front desk position at Sentara RMH Integrative Medicine, but says she wants to return to patient care in a different role than before.

“In patient care, I like to be someone that patients can depend on,” says the Augusta County native. “I want to advocate for them to help them get better. It’s important to educate them on the resources available.” She says a long-term educational objective might be a nursing degree to work in a specialty such as cardiology or nephrology.

When Alison first tried attending college, her heart wasn’t in it. She was away from home for the first time, finding it difficult to balance classwork, sports, and a social life.

Her studies at BRCC tell a different story.

Alison notes, “I see the importance of education now. I see it differently now that I’m a mom. I want to make a better life for my daughter.”

GO Virginia cybersecurtiy bootcamp participants and instructors.

Three recent graduates of the BRCC Cybersecurity program Karen, Jay, and Ashley are all Cybersecurity Analysts with Tiber Creek Consulting. While the company is based in Fairfax, VA, they have a remote office in downtown Waynesboro, VA

The Go Virginia training program includes a security review course, CompTIA Security+ Exam, Cybrary online training, and on-the-job training, and takes approximately three months to complete. Prospective students may contact Dan OBrien, GO Virginia cyber security program manager and instructor, at (540) 453-2254 or obriend@brcc.edu, or visit Go Virginia Grant for more information.

Non Profit Org. U. S. Postage and Fees Paid BRCC

F&M Bank Funds Scholarships

BRCC EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, INC

Students Shine in Difficult Times

Pictured from left to right are: Debbie Koogler, Branch Manager, F&M Bank; Renee Hartless, Assistant Vice President, F&M Bank; Mary Pavlovskaya, Business Deposit Services Officer, F&M Bank; BRCC President John Downey; BRCC Educational Foundation Executive Director Amy Laser Kiger; and Dan Layman, President and CEO, Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.

I

n this time of uncertainty, we are inspired by this message from the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System:

R

epresentatives from F&M Bank and the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge present the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation with a $2,000 check to support scholarships for students from Augusta and Rockingham Counties.

W

“This is incredibly important work. Just look around this emergency—the first responders, the hospital nurses, the truck drivers keeping food and supplies coming to our stores, and so many more—our society depends on community college-trained people to function, especially in its darkest moments.”

You Can Make a Difference Blue Ridge Fund

-Chancellor Glenn DuBois

ith your continued support, BRCC students are able to make their educational dreams come true. The Blue Ridge Fund provides steady scholarship support, as well as funding for instructional technology, faculty innovation and staff professional development, improving the educational experience for all students. If you want to be a part of building the dreams of today’s students while ensuring them one of the finest educations available, then make your gift to the Blue Ridge Fund today. Online giving has never been easier! Scan this code to make a donation now to the BRCC Educational Foundation, Inc. Great Community Give June 24, 2020 Support BRCC online at https://donate.greatcommunitygive.org/ organizations/blue-ridge-community-collegeeducational-foundation

Please let us know of your plans, and allow us to publicize your name along with the other people who have so thoughtfully remembered the College. If you have included the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation in your estate planning, or would like further information, please contact Amy Laser Kiger at (540) 453-2211, KigerA@brcc.edu, or Post Office Box 80, Weyers Cave, VA 24486-0080.

As you may know, our Spring Fling Auction, originally scheduled in April, has been postponed to a later date. Though we don’t know when, we know that this pandemic will come to an end. When it does, we will determine a date for the rescheduled Spring Fling and will communicate that with you. We know that our students will need the opportunities provided by a BRCC education even more after these challenging times.

Save the Date!

T

he Blue Ridge Vision Society encourages all who support the College’s mission to use their financial and estate planning to help the College maintain the affordable access and educational excellence our community expects and deserves.

When you make a place for the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation in your long-term planning, you are making a difference for generations of BRCC students to come, and helping to educate the deserving students of tomorrow. When you inform Blue Ridge Community College that you have done so, you lead by example, encouraging others to do likewise.

The students featured in this issue of Community Link showcase just how true this is.

Our graduates are on the front line now more than ever, and will be in the time to come, helping to support our community in ways we often take for granted.

Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. P. O. Box 80 Weyers Cave, VA 24486 (540) 453-2211 www.brcc.edu/EdFound

Leaving a Legacy for Future BRCC Students

Spring 2020

Though currently teleworking, BRCC Educational Foundation staff will continue processing mail on a weekly basis, and gifts may also be made online through Network for Good at this link: https://bit.ly/33SVVUS. In addition, please consider supporting BRCC and our students on June 24 through the Great Community Give, an online giving day sponsored by The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Use this link (on June 24 only) to donate online: https://donate. greatcommunitygive.org/organizations/blue-ridge-community-college-educationalfoundation Thank you again for your support of the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation. Please know that your continued investment makes an important difference for our students, our college, and our community.

BRCC Educational Foundation Board Chair Mary Louise Leake, Vice Chair Matthias N. Smith, Secretary John A. Downey, Treasurer Cynthia F. Page Kelly R.S. Blosser Kenneth R. Boward Rob W. Cale

Karen C. Clark Kenneth S. Cleveland III Douglas G. Driver

Silvia T. Garcia-Romero Teresa H. Gauldin Mary McDermott

Thomas C. Mendez David R. Metz Tassie L. Pippert

Sacha Purciful Justin T. Rexrode William M. Saxman Jr.

Jerry D. Sheets Alan L. Shelton Linnea J. Spradlin

Ruth E. Jones Turner Pamela K. Ungar Andrew P. Vanhook

Community Link is an official publication of the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation. It is distributed to friends in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as BRCC faculty and staff, and is published quarterly by the Development Office, Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave, VA 24486. If you have any questions or comments regarding this publication, please contact Angie Glenn, Development Services Coordinator, at (540) 453-2307 or glenna@brcc.edu.

Non Profit Org. U. S. Postage and Fees Paid BRCC

F&M Bank Funds Scholarships

BRCC EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, INC

Students Shine in Difficult Times

Pictured from left to right are: Debbie Koogler, Branch Manager, F&M Bank; Renee Hartless, Assistant Vice President, F&M Bank; Mary Pavlovskaya, Business Deposit Services Officer, F&M Bank; BRCC President John Downey; BRCC Educational Foundation Executive Director Amy Laser Kiger; and Dan Layman, President and CEO, Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.

I

n this time of uncertainty, we are inspired by this message from the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System:

R

epresentatives from F&M Bank and the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge present the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation with a $2,000 check to support scholarships for students from Augusta and Rockingham Counties.

W

“This is incredibly important work. Just look around this emergency—the first responders, the hospital nurses, the truck drivers keeping food and supplies coming to our stores, and so many more—our society depends on community college-trained people to function, especially in its darkest moments.”

You Can Make a Difference Blue Ridge Fund

-Chancellor Glenn DuBois

ith your continued support, BRCC students are able to make their educational dreams come true. The Blue Ridge Fund provides steady scholarship support, as well as funding for instructional technology, faculty innovation and staff professional development, improving the educational experience for all students. If you want to be a part of building the dreams of today’s students while ensuring them one of the finest educations available, then make your gift to the Blue Ridge Fund today. Online giving has never been easier! Scan this code to make a donation now to the BRCC Educational Foundation, Inc. Great Community Give June 24, 2020 Support BRCC online at https://donate.greatcommunitygive.org/ organizations/blue-ridge-community-collegeeducational-foundation

Please let us know of your plans, and allow us to publicize your name along with the other people who have so thoughtfully remembered the College. If you have included the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation in your estate planning, or would like further information, please contact Amy Laser Kiger at (540) 453-2211, KigerA@brcc.edu, or Post Office Box 80, Weyers Cave, VA 24486-0080.

As you may know, our Spring Fling Auction, originally scheduled in April, has been postponed to a later date. Though we don’t know when, we know that this pandemic will come to an end. When it does, we will determine a date for the rescheduled Spring Fling and will communicate that with you. We know that our students will need the opportunities provided by a BRCC education even more after these challenging times.

Save the Date!

T

he Blue Ridge Vision Society encourages all who support the College’s mission to use their financial and estate planning to help the College maintain the affordable access and educational excellence our community expects and deserves.

When you make a place for the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation in your long-term planning, you are making a difference for generations of BRCC students to come, and helping to educate the deserving students of tomorrow. When you inform Blue Ridge Community College that you have done so, you lead by example, encouraging others to do likewise.

The students featured in this issue of Community Link showcase just how true this is.

Our graduates are on the front line now more than ever, and will be in the time to come, helping to support our community in ways we often take for granted.

Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. P. O. Box 80 Weyers Cave, VA 24486 (540) 453-2211 www.brcc.edu/EdFound

Leaving a Legacy for Future BRCC Students

Spring 2020

Though currently teleworking, BRCC Educational Foundation staff will continue processing mail on a weekly basis, and gifts may also be made online through Network for Good at this link: https://bit.ly/33SVVUS. In addition, please consider supporting BRCC and our students on June 24 through the Great Community Give, an online giving day sponsored by The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Use this link (on June 24 only) to donate online: https://donate. greatcommunitygive.org/organizations/blue-ridge-community-college-educationalfoundation Thank you again for your support of the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation. Please know that your continued investment makes an important difference for our students, our college, and our community.

BRCC Educational Foundation Board Chair Mary Louise Leake, Vice Chair Matthias N. Smith, Secretary John A. Downey, Treasurer Cynthia F. Page Kelly R.S. Blosser Kenneth R. Boward Rob W. Cale

Karen C. Clark Kenneth S. Cleveland III Douglas G. Driver

Silvia T. Garcia-Romero Teresa H. Gauldin Mary McDermott

Thomas C. Mendez David R. Metz Tassie L. Pippert

Sacha Purciful Justin T. Rexrode William M. Saxman Jr.

Jerry D. Sheets Alan L. Shelton Linnea J. Spradlin

Ruth E. Jones Turner Pamela K. Ungar Andrew P. Vanhook

Community Link is an official publication of the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation. It is distributed to friends in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as BRCC faculty and staff, and is published quarterly by the Development Office, Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave, VA 24486. If you have any questions or comments regarding this publication, please contact Angie Glenn, Development Services Coordinator, at (540) 453-2307 or glenna@brcc.edu.