Winterville, NC - A pair of Pitt Community College students received scholarships from the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Foundation this month to help cover the cost of their educational expenses.

 - During an on-campus presentation, Brittney Bell and Courtney Leggett were awarded $5,000 each to pay for tuition, fees, books and other costs associated with earning a college credential. The scholarship will provide the students $2,500 per year for two years (or four semesters).

 - Bell, a 2023 graduate of Northside High School from Plymouth, is in the first year of Pitt’s Early Childhood Education program. She says the scholarship will significantly improve her ability to pursue higher education and achieve her goals.

 - Kristen Vansant, Bell’s former high school FBLA advisor, says Brittney is “a young leader in the making” and a “model for academic excellence and student engagement.” She says Bell has proven that she wants to give back to her community and watch it flourish.

 - “(Brittney) is kind yet bold, fearless yet approachable, and I am proud to have known her the past few years,” Vansant said. “I know she will do great things for our community.”

 - Leggett, a Washington resident and 2022 Washington High School graduate, is working toward an associate degree in medical sonography. She is a member of PCC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter.

 - “When I received this scholarship, I realized that I would be able to focus on college and not be stressed about how I was going to pay for it,” Leggett said. “Thank you to SECU for helping future generations reach their goals and dreams to be able to go out and serve their community.”

 - Leggett’s high school math teacher, Brandi Barrow, said her former student is pursuing a career field that allows her to continue helping others. “I know Courtney to be a young woman of character, leadership and integrity, who truly loves and gives back to her local community,” Barrow said.

 - PCC Scholarships Coordinator Kim Simpkins says the SECU Foundation is making a considerable investment in the future of Pitt County and North Carolina, in general, through its “People Helping People” initiative.

 - “The State Employees’ Credit Union is much more than a financial institution; it’s an organization whose members care about their communities and truly want to make a positive impact in all areas of it, and that certainly includes education,” Simpkins said.

 - Through the “People Helping People” program, the SECU Foundation awards $5,000-scholarships to two students at each of North Carolina’s 58 community colleges each year in recognition of academic excellence, leadership, excellence of character, integrity and community involvement. To be considered for the awards, students must be eligible for in-state tuition and enrolled full-time in a degree, diploma or certificate program with a 2.5 GPA or higher.