BCC Foundation Establishes Gloria and Herbert J. Bryant Scholarship

September 12, 2022 — Thanks to the generosity of Herbert Jackson and Gloria P. Bryant of Bolivia, NC, the Brunswick Community College (BCC) Foundation is able to help more students in need reach their educational goals. The BCC Foundation was named in the couple’s will. When asked about their history, nieces Margaret Hewett and Lillian Mae Bigby gave us a brief account of their life. The couple married in October of 1946 and were the first African Americans in the Boliva area to own and operate a gas/general store. They were known in the community for their generosity and understanding the challenges people faced in providing for their families. The Bryants farmed in order to have fresh produce in the store and were often credited with having the biggest and best vegetables in the county. The store was a success because they took a genuine interest in their customers and their needs. Herbert learned his farming skills from his father growing up as a young boy in Supply. Gloria learned her accounting skills in the Pitt County public school system.

They were dedicated members of St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Bolivia where they enjoyed worship service, Sunday School, and Mission. Community members and members of surrounding communities will remember Gloria for her delicious baking of pies and cakes. Bereaved families always received a basket of goodies and rarely were birthdays every forgotten. They did not have children of their own but took an interest in community and family children, encouraging them in their academic progress. Another niece, Bertha Bell, remembers Aunt Gloria and Uncle Herbert closing the store in support of her first speech as a new school counselor to rising ninth graders. This gift to the Brunswick Community College Foundation will help minority students and/or students in financial need reach their educational goals in order to be come self supporting. If you are interested in learning how you can support Brunswick Community College students, please contact the BCC Foundation at 910-755-6530 or email at bccfoundation@brunswickcc.edu.

The Brunswick Community College Foundation, organized in 1982, is a charitable organization 501(c)(3) instituted to enhance the mission of Brunswick Community College to a level of excellence and purpose for students and the community. The Foundation is a vital resource for the acceptance and solicitation of all gifts for the support of education and the continued growth and progress of Brunswick Community College. To learn more, contact us at bccfoundation@brunswickcc.edu.