Check out the event webpage https://www.brcc. edu/edfound/ef-support/special-events/casinoroyale/ for event updates, ticket purchases, and sponsorship opportunities; contact Sally Jane Conner at (540) 453-2203 or ConnerS@brcc. edu for additional information.
6:00
8:00
8:30 pm—Casino Tables Re-open 9:30 pm—Casino Royale Concludes
Friday, April 19, 2024
Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center
Tickets $125 Reservations required; reservation deadline: April 10
Join us on April 19, for what is sure to be an exciting night of fundraising and friend-raising for BRCC! Even if you don’t fancy yourself a gambler (rest-assured no real risk is involved as you will be playing with BRCC “funny money”), there will be delicious food, lively libations, auction items, raffle prizes, and fun for everyone. The real winners are BRCC students and our community! Dress is business casual, or glam it up for a night in Vegas!
Dr. Downey and students Angie Ventura-Hernandez and Katie Oberholtzer met with local legislators at the General Assembly in late January. Later, the group was recognized in the House of Delegates. Thank you to our area delegates and senators - Tony Wilt, Mark D. Obenshain, Chris Runion, Ellen Campbell, Todd Gilbert, and Chris Head for their continued support of BRCC and the Virginia Community College System.
In 2003, the Educational Foundation Board of Directors decided to institute the “Director Emeritus” program as a way of recognizing former Board members who have truly made a difference for the Foundation and the College. The criteria used to determine this recognition include a demonstration of extraordinary service to Blue Ridge Community College and the BRCC Educational Foundation, as well as generous philanthropic leadership to the BRCC Educational Foundation.
Two long-time friends of Blue Ridge Community College were recently recognized by the BRCC Educational Foundation with Director Emeritus designations. Rob Cale and Mary McDermott joined an impressive group of leaders, and were celebrated at the President’s Luncheon in fall 2023.
National Philanthropy Day™ (NPD), celebrating 32 years, is a special day set aside to recognize and pay tribute to the great contributions that philanthropy – and those people active in the philanthropic community – have made to enrich our lives, our communities, and our world. The Shenandoah Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals hosted a luncheon celebration event on November 20, 2023.
BRCC’s Veterinary Technology Club received the Youth in Philanthropy Award for its support of Vet Tech students, the BRCC community, and many animal-related nonprofit causes and organizations.
Debbie Callison (pictured at left with her daughter Jennifer and husband Jimmy) was honored with the Spirit of Philanthropy Award. With generosity and service at her core, Debra Stiles Callison has been a vital part of Blue Ridge Community College for more than 25 years. Debbie is a true champion for BRCC and our community at large.
track with their educational plans, and the Foundation is vital to Foundation the flexibility to respond to the College’s needs in a timely the QR code. Thank you for your continued support!
Whenshe’s not getting oriented in the emergency room at Sentara RMH Medical Center (SRMH), Blue Ridge Community College graduate Josie Miller spends her days enjoying life with her husband and two boys, tending to their 20,000-chicken farm. The Bridgewater native shares that the journey to her present life was not without obstacles.
Growing up as an Old Order Mennonite, teenage Josie wasn’t at all interested in the nursing profession. As the years went by, she found herself working as a live-in aide for an elderly patient, and when that patient moved into Bridgewater Retirement Community, her perspective changed.
As Josie settled into her role as a CNA, she planned to continue her studies to become a Registered Nurse. She decided to enroll in the nursing program at BRCC because of the small community feel, adding how kind and helpful everyone was to her.
Upon graduation, Josie accepted a position within the ER at SRMH. “It is hard to grasp the fact that I did it,” said Josie about completing the nursing program. “I absolutely love where I am now, working in the ER as a nurse. When I am not working, I get to spend time with my family instead of studying. I will forever be grateful to the nursing program staff for all the hours they put in to make my journey possible.”
Reflecting on that journey, Josie has some advice for anyone considering enrolling in the nursing program at BRCC—
“Before starting RN school, I had heard so many people say that nursing school is the hardest thing ever and that you can’t have a social life while in school. Honestly, yes it was difficult; I would get up at 4:30 a.m. just so I could study in peace, but I had a social life too. For the first two semesters, I was a single mom to a kindergartner. Then I got married and had a baby, all while in nursing school. To all those out there wishing they could go back to school but being afraid to try, YOU CAN DO IT!”
Blue Ridge Community College’s Nursing program graduates just posted an outstanding pass rate of 94.59% on the 2023 NCLEX-RN! This is the highest pass rate for the program since 2008. The 2023 national average for the NCLEX-RN pass rate is 88.56%. The 2023 Virginia average for NCLEX-RN is 86.15%.
“Our students are developing clinical judgment skills early on in the program and demonstrating strong growth with these skills as they advance through the program,” said Kelly Stephenson, BRCC Nursing Program Director.
The NCLEX-RN, which stands for the National Council Licensure Examination [for] Registered Nurses (RN), is a computer adaptive test that is required for nursing graduates to successfully pass to be licensed as a Registered Nurse in the United States and Canada.
The BRCC Educational Foundation recently distributed $14,450 in funding made possible through a Sentara Cares grant and the Dubois Student Success Fund of the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education.
BRCC second-year Nursing students were encouraged to apply for a $100 gas card to assist with travel to and from campus and clinical sites. A team from the BRCC Financial Aid office reviewed the applicants to determine their financial need, and a plan was then developed to purchase and distribute gas cards to 28 students; this is slightly more than half of all the students in the second-year class! Based on the funds available, the students received $100 gas cards at various times in the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters.
BRCC’s Nursing program head Kelly Stephenson was asked if she had any additional feedback on this effort. She responded, “Several of the recipients have told me that the gas money assistance has allowed them to focus more on their studies to be successful and less on their financial situations. Others commented on how much traveling they are doing for clinicals this semester and how the gas cards have provided them and their families with some financial relief. I even had one student cry with tears of happiness when I handed her the first card.”
The BRCC’s Nursing Programs train one of the biggest collections of nursing manikins, in the state. These are lifelike patient simulators that can represent realworld nursing scenarios. They can help learners and educators practice healthcare skills in real-time.
BRCC Nursing Students participate in a mock disaster simulation with EMS students, and local firstresponders.
One student recipient had this to say:
Nursing school is said to be two of the most difficult years of a nurse’s life. Being a nursing student means making study time and schoolwork a priority to build a foundation of knowledge to become an exceptional nurse. However, for myself and many of my fellow classmates, juggling nursing school and the other commitments in our lives can feel like an impossible feat at times. In addition to being a nursing student, I am also a mother of five children who are involved in many activities of their own, and I currently work two jobs as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Receiving assistance with the cost of gas alleviates the financial need to work more hours, giving me the ability to spend more time focusing on my schoolwork and more precious time with my kids. I feel privileged to be considered as a recipient of a gas card provided by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education and Sentara Healthcare. I would like to extend my appreciation for offering this opportunity. I feel that assistance and support throughout this exciting journey of nursing school is a necessary component of our success. Thank you!
Simply stated, planned giving is your intention – recorded in some form of document— to contribute to the BRCC Educational Foundation, at a future date, often beyond your lifetime.
Chip Yates (pictured right with his wife Mary Louise who has also made a planned gift to BRCC) recently shared his why and how related to his planned gift to the BRCC Educational Foundation.
“I got to know Blue Ridge Community College and the BRCC Educational Foundation from the inside—as a volunteer, an employee, a student, a campaigner, a donor, and as someone who heard countless success stories from students who have faced enormous personal and financial challenges, yet succeeded in achieving their educational goals at BRCC.
I believe in the mission and values of Virginia’s community college system, and know that BRCC has these same mission and values.
I know the character of this institution—the College and the Educational Foundation – and both are stellar.
I know this institution is student-focused and a great resource for the entire community.
As a result of all this, the BRCC Educational Foundation will receive a percentage of my IRA balance. I made this arrangement—adding BRCCEF to my list of IRA beneficiaries—directly with American Funds at no cost. It was done quickly and with virtually no work on my part.
I trust this institution to be a good steward—using my gifts, including my planned gift, wisely. I have seen this consistently being done over the last 20 years of my relationship with BRCC.”
Have you included the BRCC Educational Foundation in your estate plan? Tell us! Please give us the opportunity to thank you during your lifetime. We would appreciate being able to connect you with the vital work we are doing at BRCC—the work that you will continue to support through your estate plan. Please contact Sally Jane Conner at (540) 453-2203 or ConnerS@brcc.edu.
SAVE THE DATE
BRCC’s 2 nd Annual Casino Royale
Friday, April 19, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center
Special
