As part of our partnership with HBCU Heroes, awarded two North Carolina A&T State University students with scholarships Tuesday night at a reception in Greensboro.

Jayla Bryant and Trinity Irby each received $5,000 from Carter Bank & Trust to help with the cost of tuition.

“At Carter Bank & Trust, we recognize and understand the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and value the contributions their graduates have made to society,” Carter Bank & Trust President Brad Langs said. “We also understand the costs of college can be a challenge and want to help students like Jayla and Trinity with tuition, so they can better focus on their academics.”

“This is an important relationship between HBCU Heroes and Carter Bank & Trust, because it really speaks to the importance of authenticity as it relates to establishing relationships with students of color, specifically African-American students,” Dr. Angela White, Assistant Dean of Student Success, North Carolina A&T State University said. “Scholarships like this lift a burden off of our students, as well as their families. For Carter Bank & Trust to provide this type of financial support for students, specifically our two students today, that really lifts a load off of them.”

Bryant, a first-year Information Technology Student from Upper Marlboro, Md., is a member of the Honors College and said the scholarship helps boost her confidence as a student.

“This scholarship means a lot to me, I feel like it shows that people believe in me and my accomplishments,” Bryant said. “It’s easy to doubt myself and feel like I’m not enough, but this scholarship makes me feel like people do see my potential, by helping fund my education. I’m very excited.”

Irby, a freshman Marketing student from Fayetteville, Ga., is grateful for the scholarship, as it will remove some financial burdens, allowing her to focus on school.

“This scholarship means a lot, because it’s the first scholarship I’ve ever received,” Irby said. “It makes me more comfortable in being able to stay here. It was kind of a ‘what if’ in coming to A&T, because I didn’t know if we were going to be able to pay for it, so I really needed it. It helps take some of the pressure away from paying for school.”

As part of its commitment to improving the lives of the people in the communities it is privileged to serve, Carter Bank & Trust partnered with HBCU Heroes, an organization co-founded by NBA Veteran George Lynch and Marketing CEO Tracey Pennywell, with the mission of empowering HBCU students to compete in corporate America.

“The Carter Bank & Trust/HBCU Heroes Scholarships are a major point of pride and step forward in amplifying our shared mission to empower HBCU scholars to excel through college and into corporate America,” Pennywell said. “We’re thrilled that what started as a sponsorship of the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic Career Summit Presented by Amazon, the vision of actor Michael B. Jordan, has grown into a partnership, including funding these two scholarships. Kudos to Carter Bank & Trust for partnering with us and investing in NCA&T scholars, while supporting DEI for HBCUs at the same time.”

Carter Bank & Trust and HBCU Heroes will continue to work together to learn other ways they can help elevate and support HBCUs and their students.

To learn more about Carter Bank & Trust visit www.CBTCares.com and to learn more about HBCU Heroes visit www.HBCUHeroes.org.