The mission of the Richard Bland College Foundation is to aid, strengthen, and extend in every proper anduseful manner the work, service, and objectives of Richard Bland College.
Through the generous gifts of donors, RBC is able to offer more than 60 endowed scholarships to over 100 new and returning students each year. Scholarship amounts range between $500 and $2,000 per year. Your gift makes a difference in the lives of our diverse population of students. RBC’s success is largely due to our donors. Giving to the school achievies financial success for our students.
A peek behind the curtain of RBC’s most anticipated event of the year.
Richard Bland College of William & Mary (RBC) is home to the oldest and largest collection of pecan trees in the state. It makes sense why the college’s most popular event of the year, the Pecan Festival, was named after its most ubiquitous export.
The inaugural festival was in October 2016 and it was a hit. Over the last eight years, Chief Development Officer Jeff Brown and his team have helped build the legacy of the premier event.
In April of this year, Thomas H. Solenberger, M.D. visited Richard Bland College of William & Mary (RBC) for the first time in nearly a decade and was impressed by everything he witnessed.
“This place is just like watching a flower blossoming,” Solenberger said with a smile. “There’s a go, go, go attitude here and it is just a wonderful environment for students to learn in.”
Solenberger is the son of the late Capt. Earl “Gus” Solenberger, a professor of math and business at RBC from 1967-1971. His mother, Marjorie Solenberger, served as a public relations specialist at the institution for 28 years and was an RBC Foundation board member from 1997-2002.
For most of her life, Meagan Haire Abbey felt her calling in life was to lead a classroom—not an entire townAbbey resides in McKenney [located roughly 30 miles southwest of Richard Bland College (RBC) of William & Mary], a town that spans about one square mile with a population of 480.
After teaching for roughly 10 years in Dinwiddie County Public Schools, Abbey decided to establish her own childcare center, Stepping Stone Academy. This inspired her to be a more active participant in Dinwiddie’s local government. She served on the county’s Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Scott Vincent vividly remembers her son’s expression every time they drove past Richard Bland College of William & Mary (RBC) in the 1990s.
“He would say, ‘That’s where mom and dad fell in love,’” Vincent said. “We made sure the kids knew our story.
“Had I not gone to take classes there, I wouldn’t have met my husband Lindsey. You can call it fate or who God picked for us, but it was definitely meant to be.”
Upon graduation in June, Conner will graduate No. 4 in her high school class of roughly 400 students, as well as receive her associate’s degree from RBC. She majored and minored in biology and psychology respectively. In addition to being a star in the classroom, she also advocates for women’s and children’s rights and well-being. It breaks her heart to see the most vulnerable populations being mistreated and underserved the most.
“In the future, a long-term goal of mine is to establish a safe haven for those experiencing crises,” Conner said.
