BRCC Community Link Summer 2018

Mr. and Mrs. L. Ronald Smith Honored with 2018 Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy

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

Summer 2018

BRCC’s 50th Commencement

T

Thousands gathered on the Campus Commons at Blue Ridge for the fiftieth annual graduation ceremony on May 12. Graduates heard from student speaker Joshua Carlison, who received his Nursing degree. Joshua reminded graduates that, “It’s never too late to set a goal… and accomplish it.” After graduating, Joshua will be employed at Sentara RMH in the Critical Care Unit. Keynote speaker, Warren Wise, is a 1972 BRCC Alumnus and also a retired Math faculty member. A self-proclaimed mediocre high school student who came to Blue Ridge, “because the cost of a traditional four-year school was out of reach for my family,” Mr. Wise learned quickly that he’d have to work harder to get through college, and ultimately, was successful at BRCC and JMU. “In all, Blue Ridge has been a part of my life for 40 years.

My experiences as a student, faculty member, and administrator have had a tremendous impact on the person that I have become.”

E

April 12, 2019, 6:00 p.m., Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center

24th Annual Spring Fling Auction

October 17, 2018, 7:30 a.m., Waynesboro Country Club October 18, 2018, 7:30 a.m., Spotswood Country Club, Harrisonburg October 19, 2018, 7:30 a.m., Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center, Staunton

Community Breakfast Series

September 7, 2018, 12:00 noon, Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center

President’s Luncheon

Save the Date!

W

We are pleased to report the 23rd Spring Fling Auction was a great success! More than 200 friends of BRCC attended – and together with your support – raised over $72,000! This includes sponsorships, cash donations, ticket sales and auction purchases. The funds raised support many of the things we have shared in this newsletter—our students, programs, technology, scholarships, and more. The BRCC Educational Foundation thanks all those involved in making this a meaningful event. Be sure to make plans now to join us for the next annual Spring Fling Auction on April 12, 2019.

Address Service Requested

Spring Fling Auction 2018

Ron and Bonnie Smith were nominated for the award by Blue Ridge Community College, which was presented at the Country Club of Virginia on April 18. Ron and Bonnie established the MGW Communications Endowed Scholarship at Blue Ridge Community College in 1999. With additional contributions and investment earnings over the years, it has grown into one of the most significant scholarship funds at BRCC. In addition, Ron and Bonnie have been personally generous to the BRCC Educational Foundation, with investments in the Blue Ridge Annual Fund, Dr. James R. Perkins Fund for Academic Excellence, workforce and economic development initiatives, and special events including the “BRCC Spells Success” Corporate Challenge Spelling Bee and Spring Fling Auction. Ron served on the BRCC Educational Foundation Board of Directors from 2004 until 2010, and in 2011 was named a Director Emeritus in recognition of his outstanding contributions of time, talent, and treasure. We are truly fortunate to count Ron and Bonnie Smith among BRCC’s dearest friends!

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

Each April, Virginia’s Community Colleges honor leading philanthropists from each of our 23 community colleges and the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) at a special luncheon in Richmond. This year, the 13th annual Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy recognized outstanding contributions made to the growth and development of Virginia’s Community Colleges and their respective foundations. This year’s class of distinguished philanthropy leaders has contributed a combined total of six million dollars to Virginia’s Community Colleges.

Nearly 300 graduates walked in the ceremony, and the College awarded more than 1,100 degrees, diplomas, and certificates for the 2017-18 academic year.

BRCC Educational Foundation Board Chair Cathleen P. Welsh Vice Chair Mary Louise Leake Secretary John A. Downey Treasurer Cynthia F. Page

Kelly R.S. Blosser Rob W. Cale Karen C. Clark Kenneth S. Cleveland III Denise E. “D.D.” Dawson Douglas G. Driver Silvia T. Garcia-Romero

Teresa H. Gauldin Nancy L. Hulings Camala B. Kite Martha S. Livick Mary McDermott Beverly B. McGowan Karen E. Santos

William M. Saxman Jr. Jerry D. Sheets Alan L. Shelton Matthias N. Smith Linnea J. Spradlin Pamela K. Ungar

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

BRCC Graduate Spotlight

Ben Sheffer-Driven to Succeed

Blue Ridge Scholar is Harvard Bound

B

Ben Sheffer, BRCC Class of 2013, was not in the fast lane in pursuit of a career working on cars. You might even say he spun his wheels a bit. But when he finally decided to go for it, he persisted through a grueling schedule of factory work on the third shift, and a full class load, to earn his diploma in 2013 in BRCC’s Automotive Analysis and Repair program.

Tom Mayer, the program director at the time, told Ben “you give me two years...and I’ll give you a career you can go anywhere with.”

“He basically told me what would be required and warned me that I would be at a greater disadvantage than everyone else due to my heavy workload,” Ben recalls of his first conversation with Mayer. “He was right, it was ridiculously difficult.” But his hard work paid off in a great sense of accomplishment.

Ben had enjoyed the time he spent with a friend who worked on cars, and he had thought about it as a career right after high school but didn’t pursue it. “I did always enjoy working with my hands, and when I was young I would always find things that I could take apart and try to figure out how they worked,” Ben notes.

Ben is employed at Jim Snead Quick Lane in Waynesboro, where his job “entails a little bit of everything.” One day might be any regular service like oil changes or tire rotations. Another might be filled with suspension and steering components, water pumps, drive shafts, timing chains, the list goes on. The instruction at BRCC prepared him well.

“The instructors did everything they could to drill the principles and concepts of what was being taught deep into our heads, and that set the foundation for more specific knowledge to follow that comes in further brand-specific training,” Ben says.

“You’re going to get your money’s worth [at BRCC] and you have the opportunity to learn far more than most people that go to technical schools IF you apply yourself. You’re only going to be as good as what you put into your education in the automotive program,” says Ben. The best parts of his experience at BRCC are the friendships he made and the quality of the education. One of the best life lessons was not to give up because not everything is going to be a quick fix.

“Be humble, because if you are, the more experienced techs will help you and teach you valuable things that you don’t know,” Ben notes. “Learn from your mistakes and admit them.”

The BRCC Educational Foundation recently received an $8,000 grant award from the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, and $1,000 from the Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County to support our Automotive Analysis and Repair Program.

Funds will be used for equipment purchases needed to improve instruction.

S

Sarai Perez Camacho will graduate with an associate’s degree from Blue Ridge Community College in May, receive a high school diploma from Harrisonburg High in June, and begin packing belongings for a late summer trek to Massachusetts to matriculate at Harvard University.

“When I was younger, I was obsessed with reading, carrying books with me everywhere,” says Sarai. “Reading was like getting transported to different dimensions of reality, and it caused me to love learning later on in life.”

Sarai participated in the Blue Ridge Scholars program, a cooperative effort between BRCC and Harrisonburg High School, which receives funding from the BRCC Educational Foundation. Selected high-achieving students can earn both a high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree in College Transfer simultaneously. Students attend college classes on campus in the morning and return to their high school in the afternoon.

After narrowing down a list of 20, Sarai applied to eight and received acceptance letters from seven prestigious colleges (she got in to Yale, too!) but Harvard won the day. She plans to study biomedical engineering to pursue a career designing prosthetics. Having three older brothers in the military and having contact with wounded veterans helped set her on this path.

“I really enjoy software design because I see that as the future of prosthetics, and being able to study how to move machines with the mind,” the 18-year-old says.

Sarai’s parents are deservedly proud, and her older siblings (all eight of them!) are thrilled with their baby sister’s achievements, but their good-natured teasing is keeping her humble. Sarai looks forward to attending an admitted-students’ weekend soon, and is excited to choose from three different orientations for new students in August.

“There is one for first-generation students, one to be part of the dorm crew, and another to work in an urban outreach program,” she notes. “They all sound great!” Having always lived in Harrisonburg, Sarai anticipates some “wow” moments when she gets to Harvard’s ivy-covered campus.

Learning Can Be Fun at BRCC

B

BRCC's popular summer youth program offers a variety of hands-on learning opportunities (and LOTS of fun) for rising K-12 students. The 2018 program will run June 18 – July 20 (no classes July 2-6). There is something for everyone-3D Printing Design, Acting, Building a Computer, Adventure Sports, Painting, American Sign Language, Lego Robotics, Pre-Veterinary Technology, Digital Photography, Creative Writing, Drone Technology, and much, much more! Explore classes and register at https://www.brcc.edu/continuinged/lcbf/.

$361,446 in Scholarships Awarded

T

A group of BRCC scholarship recipients expresses their gratitude.

Thanks to your support and generosity, during the 2017-18 academic year more than 200 BRCC students benefited from $361,446 in scholarships awarded through the BRCC Educational Foundation.

Scholarship recipients were given the opportunity to meet the BRCC supporters who helped make their educational goals a reality at the annual scholarship luncheon held on March 23.

Student speaker Lydia Poland, who is in her first-year of the Veterinary Technology program, had this to say:

“The incredible faculty and staff here have done their utmost to ensure that my life experiences are used to their full potential. They stay late and come in early so that my classmates and I have the most resources and the absolute best education possible. The combination of their enthusiasm and the generosity of the donors has shown me a model of what I want my life to be. I want to help others-my classmates, my colleagues, my patients, my clients. I want to dedicate my life to education and yes, to those animals I will see in pain every day because if I can use these blessings I have been given to alleviate the pain of one animal and to bring relief to the heart of their owner, it will have been worth it. I want to give of my talents and resources as lavishly and with as much abandon as they have been given to me.”

Lydia received the William Walter Reams Endowed Scholarship.

Daniel Blosser, President of Riddleberger Brothers and BRCC alumnus, spoke from a donor’s perspective: “Obviously, everyone here is a great supporter of BRCC and the BRCC Educational Foundation; however, we all know of colleagues, co-workers, acquaintances or other area business leaders who may not be aware of all the wonderful things that BRCC does to help so many underserved members of our community. Speaking from both a personal and business perspective, I can assure you as a benefactor of BRCC’s programs, it is well worth the investment. My challenge to each of you is to share BRCC’s vision and message with someone who could help, and encourage them to check out BRCC and get involved in their mission to educate and train tomorrow’s workforce.”

You Can Make a Difference The BRCC Educational Foundation closes out its fiscal year on June 30, 2018, but there is still time to contribute to the 2017-18 Blue Ridge Annual Fund.

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 Annual Fund. Online giving has never been easier! Scan this code to make a donation now to the BRCC Educational Foundation, Inc.

BRCC Alumni Spotlight

BRCC Graduate Spotlight

Ben Sheffer-Driven to Succeed

Blue Ridge Scholar is Harvard Bound

B

Ben Sheffer, BRCC Class of 2013, was not in the fast lane in pursuit of a career working on cars. You might even say he spun his wheels a bit. But when he finally decided to go for it, he persisted through a grueling schedule of factory work on the third shift, and a full class load, to earn his diploma in 2013 in BRCC’s Automotive Analysis and Repair program.

Tom Mayer, the program director at the time, told Ben “you give me two years...and I’ll give you a career you can go anywhere with.”

“He basically told me what would be required and warned me that I would be at a greater disadvantage than everyone else due to my heavy workload,” Ben recalls of his first conversation with Mayer. “He was right, it was ridiculously difficult.” But his hard work paid off in a great sense of accomplishment.

Ben had enjoyed the time he spent with a friend who worked on cars, and he had thought about it as a career right after high school but didn’t pursue it. “I did always enjoy working with my hands, and when I was young I would always find things that I could take apart and try to figure out how they worked,” Ben notes.

Ben is employed at Jim Snead Quick Lane in Waynesboro, where his job “entails a little bit of everything.” One day might be any regular service like oil changes or tire rotations. Another might be filled with suspension and steering components, water pumps, drive shafts, timing chains, the list goes on. The instruction at BRCC prepared him well.

“The instructors did everything they could to drill the principles and concepts of what was being taught deep into our heads, and that set the foundation for more specific knowledge to follow that comes in further brand-specific training,” Ben says.

“You’re going to get your money’s worth [at BRCC] and you have the opportunity to learn far more than most people that go to technical schools IF you apply yourself. You’re only going to be as good as what you put into your education in the automotive program,” says Ben. The best parts of his experience at BRCC are the friendships he made and the quality of the education. One of the best life lessons was not to give up because not everything is going to be a quick fix.

“Be humble, because if you are, the more experienced techs will help you and teach you valuable things that you don’t know,” Ben notes. “Learn from your mistakes and admit them.”

The BRCC Educational Foundation recently received an $8,000 grant award from the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, and $1,000 from the Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County to support our Automotive Analysis and Repair Program.

Funds will be used for equipment purchases needed to improve instruction.

S

Sarai Perez Camacho will graduate with an associate’s degree from Blue Ridge Community College in May, receive a high school diploma from Harrisonburg High in June, and begin packing belongings for a late summer trek to Massachusetts to matriculate at Harvard University.

“When I was younger, I was obsessed with reading, carrying books with me everywhere,” says Sarai. “Reading was like getting transported to different dimensions of reality, and it caused me to love learning later on in life.”

Sarai participated in the Blue Ridge Scholars program, a cooperative effort between BRCC and Harrisonburg High School, which receives funding from the BRCC Educational Foundation. Selected high-achieving students can earn both a high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree in College Transfer simultaneously. Students attend college classes on campus in the morning and return to their high school in the afternoon.

After narrowing down a list of 20, Sarai applied to eight and received acceptance letters from seven prestigious colleges (she got in to Yale, too!) but Harvard won the day. She plans to study biomedical engineering to pursue a career designing prosthetics. Having three older brothers in the military and having contact with wounded veterans helped set her on this path.

“I really enjoy software design because I see that as the future of prosthetics, and being able to study how to move machines with the mind,” the 18-year-old says.

Sarai’s parents are deservedly proud, and her older siblings (all eight of them!) are thrilled with their baby sister’s achievements, but their good-natured teasing is keeping her humble. Sarai looks forward to attending an admitted-students’ weekend soon, and is excited to choose from three different orientations for new students in August.

“There is one for first-generation students, one to be part of the dorm crew, and another to work in an urban outreach program,” she notes. “They all sound great!” Having always lived in Harrisonburg, Sarai anticipates some “wow” moments when she gets to Harvard’s ivy-covered campus.

Learning Can Be Fun at BRCC

B

BRCC's popular summer youth program offers a variety of hands-on learning opportunities (and LOTS of fun) for rising K-12 students. The 2018 program will run June 18 – July 20 (no classes July 2-6). There is something for everyone-3D Printing Design, Acting, Building a Computer, Adventure Sports, Painting, American Sign Language, Lego Robotics, Pre-Veterinary Technology, Digital Photography, Creative Writing, Drone Technology, and much, much more! Explore classes and register at https://www.brcc.edu/continuinged/lcbf/.

$361,446 in Scholarships Awarded

T

A group of BRCC scholarship recipients expresses their gratitude.

Thanks to your support and generosity, during the 2017-18 academic year more than 200 BRCC students benefited from $361,446 in scholarships awarded through the BRCC Educational Foundation.

Scholarship recipients were given the opportunity to meet the BRCC supporters who helped make their educational goals a reality at the annual scholarship luncheon held on March 23.

Student speaker Lydia Poland, who is in her first-year of the Veterinary Technology program, had this to say:

“The incredible faculty and staff here have done their utmost to ensure that my life experiences are used to their full potential. They stay late and come in early so that my classmates and I have the most resources and the absolute best education possible. The combination of their enthusiasm and the generosity of the donors has shown me a model of what I want my life to be. I want to help others-my classmates, my colleagues, my patients, my clients. I want to dedicate my life to education and yes, to those animals I will see in pain every day because if I can use these blessings I have been given to alleviate the pain of one animal and to bring relief to the heart of their owner, it will have been worth it. I want to give of my talents and resources as lavishly and with as much abandon as they have been given to me.”

Lydia received the William Walter Reams Endowed Scholarship.

Daniel Blosser, President of Riddleberger Brothers and BRCC alumnus, spoke from a donor’s perspective: “Obviously, everyone here is a great supporter of BRCC and the BRCC Educational Foundation; however, we all know of colleagues, co-workers, acquaintances or other area business leaders who may not be aware of all the wonderful things that BRCC does to help so many underserved members of our community. Speaking from both a personal and business perspective, I can assure you as a benefactor of BRCC’s programs, it is well worth the investment. My challenge to each of you is to share BRCC’s vision and message with someone who could help, and encourage them to check out BRCC and get involved in their mission to educate and train tomorrow’s workforce.”

You Can Make a Difference The BRCC Educational Foundation closes out its fiscal year on June 30, 2018, but there is still time to contribute to the 2017-18 Blue Ridge Annual Fund.

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 Annual Fund. Online giving has never been easier! Scan this code to make a donation now to the BRCC Educational Foundation, Inc.

BRCC Alumni Spotlight

BRCC Graduate Spotlight

Ben Sheffer-Driven to Succeed

Blue Ridge Scholar is Harvard Bound

B

Ben Sheffer, BRCC Class of 2013, was not in the fast lane in pursuit of a career working on cars. You might even say he spun his wheels a bit. But when he finally decided to go for it, he persisted through a grueling schedule of factory work on the third shift, and a full class load, to earn his diploma in 2013 in BRCC’s Automotive Analysis and Repair program.

Tom Mayer, the program director at the time, told Ben “you give me two years...and I’ll give you a career you can go anywhere with.”

“He basically told me what would be required and warned me that I would be at a greater disadvantage than everyone else due to my heavy workload,” Ben recalls of his first conversation with Mayer. “He was right, it was ridiculously difficult.” But his hard work paid off in a great sense of accomplishment.

Ben had enjoyed the time he spent with a friend who worked on cars, and he had thought about it as a career right after high school but didn’t pursue it. “I did always enjoy working with my hands, and when I was young I would always find things that I could take apart and try to figure out how they worked,” Ben notes.

Ben is employed at Jim Snead Quick Lane in Waynesboro, where his job “entails a little bit of everything.” One day might be any regular service like oil changes or tire rotations. Another might be filled with suspension and steering components, water pumps, drive shafts, timing chains, the list goes on. The instruction at BRCC prepared him well.

“The instructors did everything they could to drill the principles and concepts of what was being taught deep into our heads, and that set the foundation for more specific knowledge to follow that comes in further brand-specific training,” Ben says.

“You’re going to get your money’s worth [at BRCC] and you have the opportunity to learn far more than most people that go to technical schools IF you apply yourself. You’re only going to be as good as what you put into your education in the automotive program,” says Ben. The best parts of his experience at BRCC are the friendships he made and the quality of the education. One of the best life lessons was not to give up because not everything is going to be a quick fix.

“Be humble, because if you are, the more experienced techs will help you and teach you valuable things that you don’t know,” Ben notes. “Learn from your mistakes and admit them.”

The BRCC Educational Foundation recently received an $8,000 grant award from the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, and $1,000 from the Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County to support our Automotive Analysis and Repair Program.

Funds will be used for equipment purchases needed to improve instruction.

S

Sarai Perez Camacho will graduate with an associate’s degree from Blue Ridge Community College in May, receive a high school diploma from Harrisonburg High in June, and begin packing belongings for a late summer trek to Massachusetts to matriculate at Harvard University.

“When I was younger, I was obsessed with reading, carrying books with me everywhere,” says Sarai. “Reading was like getting transported to different dimensions of reality, and it caused me to love learning later on in life.”

Sarai participated in the Blue Ridge Scholars program, a cooperative effort between BRCC and Harrisonburg High School, which receives funding from the BRCC Educational Foundation. Selected high-achieving students can earn both a high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree in College Transfer simultaneously. Students attend college classes on campus in the morning and return to their high school in the afternoon.

After narrowing down a list of 20, Sarai applied to eight and received acceptance letters from seven prestigious colleges (she got in to Yale, too!) but Harvard won the day. She plans to study biomedical engineering to pursue a career designing prosthetics. Having three older brothers in the military and having contact with wounded veterans helped set her on this path.

“I really enjoy software design because I see that as the future of prosthetics, and being able to study how to move machines with the mind,” the 18-year-old says.

Sarai’s parents are deservedly proud, and her older siblings (all eight of them!) are thrilled with their baby sister’s achievements, but their good-natured teasing is keeping her humble. Sarai looks forward to attending an admitted-students’ weekend soon, and is excited to choose from three different orientations for new students in August.

“There is one for first-generation students, one to be part of the dorm crew, and another to work in an urban outreach program,” she notes. “They all sound great!” Having always lived in Harrisonburg, Sarai anticipates some “wow” moments when she gets to Harvard’s ivy-covered campus.

Learning Can Be Fun at BRCC

B

BRCC's popular summer youth program offers a variety of hands-on learning opportunities (and LOTS of fun) for rising K-12 students. The 2018 program will run June 18 – July 20 (no classes July 2-6). There is something for everyone-3D Printing Design, Acting, Building a Computer, Adventure Sports, Painting, American Sign Language, Lego Robotics, Pre-Veterinary Technology, Digital Photography, Creative Writing, Drone Technology, and much, much more! Explore classes and register at https://www.brcc.edu/continuinged/lcbf/.

$361,446 in Scholarships Awarded

T

A group of BRCC scholarship recipients expresses their gratitude.

Thanks to your support and generosity, during the 2017-18 academic year more than 200 BRCC students benefited from $361,446 in scholarships awarded through the BRCC Educational Foundation.

Scholarship recipients were given the opportunity to meet the BRCC supporters who helped make their educational goals a reality at the annual scholarship luncheon held on March 23.

Student speaker Lydia Poland, who is in her first-year of the Veterinary Technology program, had this to say:

“The incredible faculty and staff here have done their utmost to ensure that my life experiences are used to their full potential. They stay late and come in early so that my classmates and I have the most resources and the absolute best education possible. The combination of their enthusiasm and the generosity of the donors has shown me a model of what I want my life to be. I want to help others-my classmates, my colleagues, my patients, my clients. I want to dedicate my life to education and yes, to those animals I will see in pain every day because if I can use these blessings I have been given to alleviate the pain of one animal and to bring relief to the heart of their owner, it will have been worth it. I want to give of my talents and resources as lavishly and with as much abandon as they have been given to me.”

Lydia received the William Walter Reams Endowed Scholarship.

Daniel Blosser, President of Riddleberger Brothers and BRCC alumnus, spoke from a donor’s perspective: “Obviously, everyone here is a great supporter of BRCC and the BRCC Educational Foundation; however, we all know of colleagues, co-workers, acquaintances or other area business leaders who may not be aware of all the wonderful things that BRCC does to help so many underserved members of our community. Speaking from both a personal and business perspective, I can assure you as a benefactor of BRCC’s programs, it is well worth the investment. My challenge to each of you is to share BRCC’s vision and message with someone who could help, and encourage them to check out BRCC and get involved in their mission to educate and train tomorrow’s workforce.”

You Can Make a Difference The BRCC Educational Foundation closes out its fiscal year on June 30, 2018, but there is still time to contribute to the 2017-18 Blue Ridge Annual Fund.

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 Annual Fund. Online giving has never been easier! Scan this code to make a donation now to the BRCC Educational Foundation, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. L. Ronald Smith Honored with 2018 Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy

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

Summer 2018

BRCC’s 50th Commencement

T

Thousands gathered on the Campus Commons at Blue Ridge for the fiftieth annual graduation ceremony on May 12. Graduates heard from student speaker Joshua Carlison, who received his Nursing degree. Joshua reminded graduates that, “It’s never too late to set a goal… and accomplish it.” After graduating, Joshua will be employed at Sentara RMH in the Critical Care Unit. Keynote speaker, Warren Wise, is a 1972 BRCC Alumnus and also a retired Math faculty member. A self-proclaimed mediocre high school student who came to Blue Ridge, “because the cost of a traditional four-year school was out of reach for my family,” Mr. Wise learned quickly that he’d have to work harder to get through college, and ultimately, was successful at BRCC and JMU. “In all, Blue Ridge has been a part of my life for 40 years.

My experiences as a student, faculty member, and administrator have had a tremendous impact on the person that I have become.”

E

April 12, 2019, 6:00 p.m., Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center

24th Annual Spring Fling Auction

October 17, 2018, 7:30 a.m., Waynesboro Country Club October 18, 2018, 7:30 a.m., Spotswood Country Club, Harrisonburg October 19, 2018, 7:30 a.m., Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center, Staunton

Community Breakfast Series

September 7, 2018, 12:00 noon, Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center

President’s Luncheon

Save the Date!

W

We are pleased to report the 23rd Spring Fling Auction was a great success! More than 200 friends of BRCC attended – and together with your support – raised over $72,000! This includes sponsorships, cash donations, ticket sales and auction purchases. The funds raised support many of the things we have shared in this newsletter—our students, programs, technology, scholarships, and more. The BRCC Educational Foundation thanks all those involved in making this a meaningful event. Be sure to make plans now to join us for the next annual Spring Fling Auction on April 12, 2019.

Address Service Requested

Spring Fling Auction 2018

Ron and Bonnie Smith were nominated for the award by Blue Ridge Community College, which was presented at the Country Club of Virginia on April 18. Ron and Bonnie established the MGW Communications Endowed Scholarship at Blue Ridge Community College in 1999. With additional contributions and investment earnings over the years, it has grown into one of the most significant scholarship funds at BRCC. In addition, Ron and Bonnie have been personally generous to the BRCC Educational Foundation, with investments in the Blue Ridge Annual Fund, Dr. James R. Perkins Fund for Academic Excellence, workforce and economic development initiatives, and special events including the “BRCC Spells Success” Corporate Challenge Spelling Bee and Spring Fling Auction. Ron served on the BRCC Educational Foundation Board of Directors from 2004 until 2010, and in 2011 was named a Director Emeritus in recognition of his outstanding contributions of time, talent, and treasure. We are truly fortunate to count Ron and Bonnie Smith among BRCC’s dearest friends!

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

Each April, Virginia’s Community Colleges honor leading philanthropists from each of our 23 community colleges and the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) at a special luncheon in Richmond. This year, the 13th annual Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy recognized outstanding contributions made to the growth and development of Virginia’s Community Colleges and their respective foundations. This year’s class of distinguished philanthropy leaders has contributed a combined total of six million dollars to Virginia’s Community Colleges.

Nearly 300 graduates walked in the ceremony, and the College awarded more than 1,100 degrees, diplomas, and certificates for the 2017-18 academic year.

BRCC Educational Foundation Board Chair Cathleen P. Welsh Vice Chair Mary Louise Leake Secretary John A. Downey Treasurer Cynthia F. Page

Kelly R.S. Blosser Rob W. Cale Karen C. Clark Kenneth S. Cleveland III Denise E. “D.D.” Dawson Douglas G. Driver Silvia T. Garcia-Romero

Teresa H. Gauldin Nancy L. Hulings Camala B. Kite Martha S. Livick Mary McDermott Beverly B. McGowan Karen E. Santos

William M. Saxman Jr. Jerry D. Sheets Alan L. Shelton Matthias N. Smith Linnea J. Spradlin Pamela K. Ungar

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.

Mr. and Mrs. L. Ronald Smith Honored with 2018 Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy

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

Summer 2018

BRCC’s 50th Commencement

T

Thousands gathered on the Campus Commons at Blue Ridge for the fiftieth annual graduation ceremony on May 12. Graduates heard from student speaker Joshua Carlison, who received his Nursing degree. Joshua reminded graduates that, “It’s never too late to set a goal… and accomplish it.” After graduating, Joshua will be employed at Sentara RMH in the Critical Care Unit. Keynote speaker, Warren Wise, is a 1972 BRCC Alumnus and also a retired Math faculty member. A self-proclaimed mediocre high school student who came to Blue Ridge, “because the cost of a traditional four-year school was out of reach for my family,” Mr. Wise learned quickly that he’d have to work harder to get through college, and ultimately, was successful at BRCC and JMU. “In all, Blue Ridge has been a part of my life for 40 years.

My experiences as a student, faculty member, and administrator have had a tremendous impact on the person that I have become.”

E

April 12, 2019, 6:00 p.m., Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center

24th Annual Spring Fling Auction

October 17, 2018, 7:30 a.m., Waynesboro Country Club October 18, 2018, 7:30 a.m., Spotswood Country Club, Harrisonburg October 19, 2018, 7:30 a.m., Stonewall Jackson Hotel & Conference Center, Staunton

Community Breakfast Series

September 7, 2018, 12:00 noon, Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center

President’s Luncheon

Save the Date!

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We are pleased to report the 23rd Spring Fling Auction was a great success! More than 200 friends of BRCC attended – and together with your support – raised over $72,000! This includes sponsorships, cash donations, ticket sales and auction purchases. The funds raised support many of the things we have shared in this newsletter—our students, programs, technology, scholarships, and more. The BRCC Educational Foundation thanks all those involved in making this a meaningful event. Be sure to make plans now to join us for the next annual Spring Fling Auction on April 12, 2019.

Address Service Requested

Spring Fling Auction 2018

Ron and Bonnie Smith were nominated for the award by Blue Ridge Community College, which was presented at the Country Club of Virginia on April 18. Ron and Bonnie established the MGW Communications Endowed Scholarship at Blue Ridge Community College in 1999. With additional contributions and investment earnings over the years, it has grown into one of the most significant scholarship funds at BRCC. In addition, Ron and Bonnie have been personally generous to the BRCC Educational Foundation, with investments in the Blue Ridge Annual Fund, Dr. James R. Perkins Fund for Academic Excellence, workforce and economic development initiatives, and special events including the “BRCC Spells Success” Corporate Challenge Spelling Bee and Spring Fling Auction. Ron served on the BRCC Educational Foundation Board of Directors from 2004 until 2010, and in 2011 was named a Director Emeritus in recognition of his outstanding contributions of time, talent, and treasure. We are truly fortunate to count Ron and Bonnie Smith among BRCC’s dearest friends!

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

Each April, Virginia’s Community Colleges honor leading philanthropists from each of our 23 community colleges and the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) at a special luncheon in Richmond. This year, the 13th annual Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy recognized outstanding contributions made to the growth and development of Virginia’s Community Colleges and their respective foundations. This year’s class of distinguished philanthropy leaders has contributed a combined total of six million dollars to Virginia’s Community Colleges.

Nearly 300 graduates walked in the ceremony, and the College awarded more than 1,100 degrees, diplomas, and certificates for the 2017-18 academic year.

BRCC Educational Foundation Board Chair Cathleen P. Welsh Vice Chair Mary Louise Leake Secretary John A. Downey Treasurer Cynthia F. Page

Kelly R.S. Blosser Rob W. Cale Karen C. Clark Kenneth S. Cleveland III Denise E. “D.D.” Dawson Douglas G. Driver Silvia T. Garcia-Romero

Teresa H. Gauldin Nancy L. Hulings Camala B. Kite Martha S. Livick Mary McDermott Beverly B. McGowan Karen E. Santos

William M. Saxman Jr. Jerry D. Sheets Alan L. Shelton Matthias N. Smith Linnea J. Spradlin Pamela K. Ungar

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.