SHINING THE LIGHT ON SELMA AND DALLAS COUNTY, ALABAMA
www.selmasun.com
May 14, 2020 | Volume 7 Issue 20
75 ¢
Selma twins chase their dreams to bright future BY BRAD FISHER
Selma Sun Staff Always chase your dreams. Never give up on yourself. That’s been the philosophy of Ryan and Bryan Hurt, identical twins from Selma who just graduated from The University of Alabama with degrees in civil engineering. Their paths took them from Selma High School to Wallace Community College Selma to UA. For Bryan, the next step is Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, where he will be a civilian engineer working on a variety of projects as the base rebuilds from damage caused by Hurricane Michael. Ryan will be moving to Houston, where he will work for transportation engineering firm RPS Group. Engineering is a notoriously difficult college major, and Ryan said they worked hard to get to where they are. In an early engineering class, Ryan said he and Bryan were making failing marks on tests, but they doubled and tripled their study time, and ended the semester at the top of the class. The professor recognized them in class for their efforts. “That just showed me that you can never give up on what you want to do,” Ryan said. “Whatever you want to do, own it and say it over and over until you seize it. If I want to be it, but I’m not working toward it, how can it happen? You can do anything if you can be positive. You’ve just got to keep working.” "Ryan and Bryan were wonderful students,” said Dr. Glenn Tootle, associate professor of civil, construction and environ-
mental engineering at UA. “I was fortunate to have them in several classes, including an abroad course. I know they will be great engineers and ambassadors for The University of Alabama." Bryan said school was difficult, “but I was able to meet the [grade] requirement to pursue an opportunity with Air Force civilian service, and I was able to do research in Europe on a study-abroad program. Having the opportunity with the Air Force and being surrounded by so many amazing people who saw something in me that I could not see at times helped show me my own powers and skill.” The brothers earned more than their share of honors at UA. Both received scholarships from the Alabama G.I. bill, Folds of Honor, General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant, Alabama Promise and Wallace Community College Selma. Both are members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and Black Student Union (BSU). And both are proud members of Kappa Alpha chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. They volunteered at the local Boys and Girls Club, a retirement home, the animal shelter and an afterschool program for children with autism. Bryan said his time at UA “had its ups and downs, but I definitely enjoyed it. It was an amazing experience.” The brothers acknowledge they had lots of help along the way, especially from their parents, Bobby and Jacqueline Parker Hurt. Their father retired as a master sergeant after serv-
ing in the Air Force for 22 years, and their mother is a nurse at Vaughan Regional Medical Center. “Mom and dad, they worked hard for us; they provided for us. My dad was in the military for 22 years. My mom worked all these hours every day so we could be debt free,” Ryan said. “It truly is a blessing.” Bryan said, “We developed some of our traits from our father, who still gets up each day and spends hours maintaining his garden. Our father is a hard worker and would give the shirt off his back if he has to.” Jacqueline Hurt “made sure we kept education first,” Bryan said. “Throughout our undergraduate journey, when times the journey became rough, we looked back at our mother for encouragement, when she continues striving with her education goals, which motivated us.” Others in Selma also helped form their work ethic. The twins played on the offensive line for Selma High School football Coach Leroy Miles, and Ryan said the coach “helped us understand the vision.” Ryan said, “He taught us to keep working hard. To have a work ethic. He kept believing in us, pushing us to be better than what we were.” Several players from that era went on to be successful, including Lachavious Simmons, who was just drafted by the Chicago Bears. Former track Coach Jeff Walker helped train the twins to be faster, disproving the old adage “that you can’t coach speed,” Ryan said.
“He pushed us,” Ryan said. “We were running up and down the stadium every single day. But he made us faster.” In the classroom, drafting and design teacher Darrell Davis helped set the Hurts on their path. Both Ryan and Bryan went to the drafting program at Wallace Community College Selma their senior year of high school on the bridge program, which set them up for a career in engineering. The brothers supported each other throughout school. Ryan characterized himself as the more bookish of the two. He jokingly referred to Bryan as the “big wig” who was into the business side of things. “I helped Bryan with studies, and Bryan helped me with getting ready for interviews and stuff,” Ryan said. Bryan agreed with Ryan’s assessment. “Overall, we both are well-rounded students, I always preach to Ryan the key is to develop your skills and every department.” Ryan admitted he believes fate has a hand in his success, as well. For instance, Ryan said he was walking across campus one day worrying about how he was going to find an internship to round out his resume. He was stopped by a stranger who apparently thought he was Bryan, which was a common occurrence since the two look so much alike. It turned out that the stranger’s mother, Felecia Evans-Smith, is an engineer in Houston, and she became Ryan’s friend and mentor. She helped get him an internship and later a job in that city.
Identical twins Bryan, left, and Ryan Hurts of Selma are graduating from The University of Alabama this month and moving on to engineering jobs in separate states. They are graduates of Selma High School. The twins have lived together their whole lives, except for brief periods when one or the other lived away for an internship. Now, their careers will place them hundreds of miles apart. Bryan said, “In my head, I always knew that I had something to come back to – my brother, my friends, the University. This time, sadly, we are not necessarily coming back, yet start-
ing a new journey. We always had a habit of checking in on each other daily and Facetiming all the time.” Ryan said he knows it will be hard to be separated from his brother, “But we both understand we have to handle our business. We still met up throughout the summer. Even now, we plan on traveling and visiting each other’s city.”
Late on your property taxes in Dallas County? Find out in the Tax Delinquencies List inside on Pages 9-12
Grieving cousin: Coronavirus “nothing to play with”
COVID forces many Dallas County churches to convene in God’s house – outside To keep the church community meeting during the
BY BRAD FISHER
quarantine, many Dallas County churches have moved their pulpits
outside to worship. SEE the full story and photos inside on Page 8.
Selma Sun Staff Brenda Page Smith wants everybody to know that the coronavirus “is nothing to play with.” She should know. She said COVID-19 took the life of her cousin and life-long friend Sherrylyn Stewart Coleman on April 26. Coleman, who was just short of her 63rd birthday, was one of three Dallas County residents to die of corona virus as of Tuesday. According to Smith, Coleman, who was a dialysis patient, went to a Montgomery hospital with a fever. She said her cousin told her on the telephone that she had been diagnosed with coronavirus. Smith said she spoke with her cousin every day she was in the hospital, and she sounded like she was getting stronger. Meanwhile, Coleman’s husband became ill and went to UAB Hospital in Birmingham, where she said he too was diagnosed with coronavirus and was placed on life support. Smith said Coleman’s son, an electrician who works in Huntsville, cleaned up his parents’ house, and Coleman was discharged from the hospital. Two days later, she said the son found his mother dead at home. A graveside service was held on May 6, according to Coleman’s online death
Rev. Evelyn Scott of The Word Ministry preaches on Sunday in the field where their new church will be built at the corner of Highway 80 and 41. The congregation built the pulpit to hold outside services during COVID.
- Brenda Page Smith lost her cousin, Sherrylyn Stewart Coleman to COVID-19 on April 26. Photo provided. notice published by Moore Chapel Funeral Home in Brundidge. “People are taking this for a joke, but it’s not,” Smith said. “Especially when it’s taking a family member. It’s something dangerous.” She said the family is concerned because the son couldn’t get tested because he didn’t
have symptoms, even though he had cleaned the house where both his parents were ill with the virus. She said no one knows where the Coleman’s caught the virus. Smith said she washes her hands and wears a mask, and she’s limited her contact with people, even though she is active in the community.
Crosspoint Christian Church members attended Sunday’s outside service in street clothes and sat in chairs and on tailgates to hear the word.
Randall Miller Funeral Service & Crematory "Providing the Very Best in Funeral Service" 608 St. Phillips St. - P.O. Box 1471 Selma, Alabama 36702
334-874-9081
www.randallmillerfuneralservice.com
Randall J. Miller - Owner