More than 200 scholarship recipients, donors, faculty, staff, and supporters gathered on September 24 for The Vance-Granville Community College Foundation’s annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon, celebrating the transformative power of education and the generosity of those who make student success possible.
The luncheon, held in partnership with CertainTeed, provided an opportunity to recognize scholarship recipients and the donors whose generosity helps students pursue their educational and career goals. The festivities served as both a celebration of the past and a reminder of what is possible when a community comes together to invest in its students.
This year’s celebration held special significance as The Foundation marks 50 years of building futures, believing in students’ potential, and working to remove the barriers that can stand between them and their dreams.
Since its establishment in 1976, The Foundation has provided scholarships and other forms of student support designed to help students persist and succeed. In addition to scholarships, Foundation resources help address barriers through emergency assistance, food pantry support, and other programs designed to meet students where they are.
“Fifty years is more than a milestone—it is 50 years of believing in students, 50 years of opening doors, and 50 years of saying, ‘You can do this, and we are going to help you get there,’” said Tanya Weary, Executive Director of The Vance-Granville Community College Foundation. “Every scholarship represents more than financial assistance. It represents opportunity, hope, and someone believing in a student’s future.”
Distinguished Alumni Honored
The luncheon also featured the presentation of The Foundation’s Distinguished Alumni Award to Emiliano Dunton of Granville County, recognizing an alumnus whose journey exemplifies the transformative power of opportunity and education.
Dunton began his journey at Vance-Granville Community College in the Franklin Campus Biotechnology program, taking his education beyond the classroom and into research and innovation. Through a research internship at North Carolina Central University and advanced laboratory training, Dunton helped strengthen the pipeline into the biopharmaceutical industry. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dunton used computer programming and data analysis while working with researchers to help identify existing pharmaceutical drugs that might have therapeutic activity against the virus.
The commitment to learning continued after his NCCU graduation, as Dunton returned to Vance-Granville to pursue Mechatronics Technology and expand his skills in technology and advanced manufacturing—but perhaps the most meaningful part of Dunton’s story is how he has turned his own opportunities into opportunities for others.
Growing up in rural North Carolina, Dunton saw talented young people who had the ability and ambition to succeed but lacked access to technology, education, and career pathways. So, he chose to act. Dunton founded AA8 Corporation, a nonprofit organization that has grown into a STEM education hub serving young people across the region and helping them discover possibilities they may not have otherwise known existed. His work has been recognized in the community, including being named VGCC’s Small Business of the Year in 2025.
Building the Future
As The Foundation celebrates its past, it is also looking forward through its Building Futures: Empowering Students and Strengthening Communities initiative.
This initiative is helping create the spaces, resources, and opportunities students need to prepare for the workforce of tomorrow. With new facilities coming online, including the Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Applied Technology (CAMAT) and the Transportation Technology & Training Center, The Foundation is working to ensure students have access to modern, industry-aligned education and training close to home.
“These buildings are much more than bricks and mortar,” Weary said. “They represent access. They represent opportunity. They represent a student walking through a door and seeing a future they may not have believed was possible. We are building spaces where students can learn, innovate, discover their talents, and prepare for careers that can change not only their lives, but the communities they call home.”
The Foundation’s approach to Building Futures is rooted in the belief that meaningful philanthropy can create lasting, transformational change. By bringing together donors, businesses, community partners, and the College, the initiative seeks to expand opportunity for students who may face financial, geographic, or other barriers to education.
“Building Futures is about what happens when we come together and believe that every student deserves a chance to succeed,” Sheri Jones, Associate Director of The VGCC Foundation said. “Our donors are not simply giving to a scholarship or a building; they are investing in people. They are helping students overcome barriers, discover what they are capable of, and build a future they can be proud of.”
As The Foundation looks toward its next 50 years, its commitment remains centered on the same fundamental belief that has guided its work since 1976: When we invest in students, we invest in the future of our communities.
“For 50 years, our donors and supporters have believed in the promise of our students,” Weary said. “As we look toward the next 50 years, we know there is still so much more we can build together.”
About The Vance-Granville Community College Foundation
Established in 1976, The Vance-Granville Community College Foundation is the official fundraising arm of Vance-Granville Community College and a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Foundation supports VGCC students and programs through scholarships, emergency assistance, food pantry support, capital projects, and other initiatives that advance student success and strengthen the communities VGCC serves.
The Foundation extends its gratitude to the scholarship donors, students, faculty, staff, business and community partners, and everyone who continues to believe in the mission of Vance-Granville Community College.
For more information, contact The VGCC Foundation at [email protected] or (252) 738-3264.
