HAMLET – Gay Garris Rhyne was a vibrant, loving and giving person who dedicated her life to helping and teaching others and promoting goodness and love in her community. These were the kind words shared about Rhyne, an instructor at Richmond Community College before she suddenly passed away two years ago.
Kyle Garris, Rhyne’s brother, and Ricky Wallace, a friend of the family, established the Gay Garris Rhyne Memorial Scholarship at RichmondCC to honor her memory and the giving spirit she was known for.
“The reason we wanted to do this scholarship is to help someone in Gay’s name. We want this to be a continuous thing and help people as Gay would have,” said Wallace.
Rhyne was a Health Information Technology instructor at RichmondCC, where she had many friends among the faculty and staff and was loved by her students.
“Gay was a lifelong resident of Richmond County, who loved and promoted her community,” said Dr. Hal Shuler, associate vice president of development for RichmondCC. “We are thankful to her family for honoring her memory in a way that helps our students, just as she did every day in and out of the classroom. We hope others will contribute to this scholarship or perhaps establish their own so our students can achieve their educational goals.”
Rhyne’s family said they hope the scholarship will encourage students to enroll in a healthcare program at RichmondCC and strive to make a positive impact in other people’s lives.
To be eligible for the Gay Garris Rhyne Memorial Scholarship, a recipient must be enrolled in an Allied Health program, be a single working parent and have a minimum grade-point average of 2.75. The $500 scholarship will be awarded to a student each semester and will help offset the cost of tuition and fees.
To contribute to this scholarship or to establish a scholarship, call Shuler at (910) 410-1807 or email whshuler@richmondcc.edu.
