Persistence. Access. Leadership.

Purpose: To support a college student whose path to higher education has not been traditional or easy, but who has demonstrated the determination to continue despite setbacks, responsibilities or circumstances that could have caused them to stop.

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

1. Currently enrolled or accepted at an accredited four-year college.
2. Has experienced a significant educational or life interruption, such as earning a GED/high-school equivalency, returning after stopping out, parenting while in school, substantial caregiving responsibility, working significant hours while enrolled, housing or financial instability, or another documented obstacle.
3. Demonstrates financial need.
4. Maintains satisfactory academic standing with a minimum 2.5 GPA.
5. Submits a short essay: “Tell us about a time when your path did not go as planned, what you did next, and what completing your education will allow you to do for yourself or others.”
6. Provides one recommendation from a professor, advisor, employer, mentor, counselor or community leader.
7. Shows a realistic plan for continuing or completing the degree.

The Award

$500 scholarship + one year of periodic mentorship from Dr. Shipman + recognition on this website + invitation to future professional and networking opportunities.

The recipient becomes a Shipman Scholar, not simply a one-time scholarship recipient.

Established in Honor of Mary Cole

The Kerry L. Shipman College Readiness Scholarship

From a Second Chance to the Next Chapter

Annual Award: $1,000

The Kerry L. Shipman College Readiness Scholarship supports a newly credentialed GED graduate from Bladen Community College who has decided to continue his or her education by enrolling in a college-level certificate, diploma, or degree program at BCC.

The scholarship reflects Dr. Shipman’s own nontraditional educational journey at Bladen Community College and his belief that earning a GED should not represent the end of an educational comeback—it can mark the beginning of the next chapter.

The scholarship is established in honor of Mary Cole, Dr. Shipman’s GED instructor at Bladen Community College, whose instruction, encouragement, and belief in her students were part of the educational second chance that helped reopen his path to higher education.

The award is intended for a student who has demonstrated persistence while navigating the financial, employment, family, or personal responsibilities that can make returning to school difficult.

Eligibility

• Completed the GED/High School Equivalency pathway through Bladen Community College within the previous 12 months.
• Accepted into or preparing to enroll in a college-level certificate, diploma, or degree program at Bladen Community College.
• Demonstrates financial need.
• Demonstrates a commitment to continuing education and completing a postsecondary credential.

Preference Considerations

• Worked while completing the GED or is working while transitioning into college.
• Is a parent or legal guardian of a dependent child.
• Carries significant family or caregiving responsibilities.
• Has experienced significant financial hardship.
• Has overcome a meaningful interruption, setback, or barrier in the educational journey.
• Can articulate a clear educational or career goal.

Applicants are not required to meet every preference factor. Selection considers the student’s overall persistence, responsibility, financial circumstances, and commitment to moving forward.

Applicant Statement

“You have completed your GED and decided to continue your education. Tell us what made your original educational path difficult, what motivated you to return, and what earning a college credential would change for you and your family.”

A brief supplemental question may also ask: “What responsibilities are you currently balancing while pursuing your education?”

Selection Philosophy

The scholarship is not intended to recognize the applicant with the highest academic record alone. Selection should consider the whole person, with particular attention to financial need, persistence and educational comeback, employment and personal responsibility, parenting or caregiving responsibilities, commitment to continued education, and educational and career goals. Because recipients are transitioning directly from GED completion into college-level study, an established college GPA is not expected as an initial eligibility requirement.

Scholarship Administration

The scholarship is intended to be administered in partnership with the Bladen Community College Foundation and incorporated, where appropriate, into the Foundation’s existing scholarship application and award process. Application dates and deadlines will follow the annual BCC Foundation scholarship calendar and will be posted when each scholarship cycle opens.

One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually.

Why This Scholarship Exists

The scholarship was established by Dr. Kerry L. Shipman, a former Bladen Community College College Readiness student whose own educational path began again through the GED program. During that chapter, Mary Cole served as his GED instructor. Her role in the classroom became part of a much larger educational journey—one that continued from high-school equivalency through undergraduate study, graduate education, law school, and ultimately doctoral study.

The scholarship is established in Ms. Cole’s honor to recognize the lasting impact an educator can have when a student is rebuilding an educational future. For Dr. Shipman, the GED was not a final destination. It became the doorway to what came next.

GED → College → Opportunity