L.C. Orrick Outreach gifts endowed scholarship to Blinn College Foundation

Scholarship will be earmarked for students with 2.0 to 3.0 GPAs with an emphasis on communications

May 17, 2023

The Rev. L.C. Orrick often would strike up a conversation with a young waiter in a restaurant, asking about their education plans. It wasn’t just idle talk.

“We’d go to lunch, and I noticed that he would often ask the waiter about their educational plans,” said the Rev. Bob Luton, a longtime friend and ministerial colleague of Orrick’s. “Sometimes it was someone who hadn’t given a lot of thought about where they might go to school. He would tell them, ‘Well, I know you’re busy now, but maybe we could grab a burger later and see if there is some way I can help you continue your education, to make your life better.’”

That legacy is living on after Orrick’s passing in 2002. Orrick’s non-profit corporation, L.C. Orrick Outreach, Inc., recently made a $41,000 gift to the Blinn College Foundation for an endowed scholarship that will be awarded annually to a deserving student.

The scholarship will be earmarked for students with a high school or college grade point average of 2.0 to 3.0 with an emphasis on studying communications as a tribute to Orrick’s passion for communications and radio, said Luton, who is a board member of Orrick Outreach. The non-profit, which was continued after Orrick’s passing, offers scholarships and managed a radio ministry based first in Brookshire, then in Sealy. It shared the Gospel message of the Christian faith in much of the area served by Blinn, Luton added.

“Blinn College was his go-to place to acquaint students with the idea of college,” Luton said. “He was able to expand their vision about their own lives and get them to think about going to college. Or maybe they were the first person in their family to be in a position to even consider going to college.”

“Our board began to realize that we needed to pass this legacy on to something that would last in perpetuity. That’s when we began the process of visiting with the Blinn College Foundation, so we’re grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this and put L.C.’s legacy in good hands,” said Luton.

Nancy Berry, Chair of the Blinn College Foundation Board of Directors, said the endowed scholarship honors a life spent helping others.

“It’s clear that the Rev. Orrick believed in Blinn College and its mission to educate students,” said Berry. “It’s an honor to be entrusted with an endowed scholarship dedicated to his belief that getting an education can be life changing.”

Luton said Orrick was a catalyst for those who may not have envisioned themselves as college students.

“He did it in such a way that they may not have realized to what extent their life had turned in those moments. He had an uncanny ability to pick out somebody who maybe lacked self-esteem or who was maybe in a job that didn’t have a future,” Luton said. “That was unique to his scholarships – he targeted them to average students who were trying hard but were being missed by other scholarship programs because they weren’t the top of their class.”

The Blinn Foundation is a tax-exempt organization that provides financial support for programs and activities that enhance the quality of education for Blinn students and expand educational opportunities. It also looks to heighten community awareness of the mission and accomplishments of the college and to promote excellence in education.

Endowed scholarships are available to incoming and returning students from a wide range of backgrounds, majors, and experiences. Students are considered based on high academic achievement, participation in student activities, and community involvement.

Current high school and college students can apply for Blinn scholarships by completing the application at www.blinn.edu/scholarships. Prior to applying for scholarships, students must complete their application for admission to Blinn College at www.applytexas.org.