Berry Bryant Memorial Scholarship Endowment

Berry Bryant’s life, and her promising future, were cut short on Oct. 5, 1996, when as an 18-year-old freshman at Northwest College, she was raped and murdered north of Powell by another NWC student.

As the 25th anniversary of Berry’s death approached, Northwest College and the NWC Foundation collaborated with Bryant’s family and friends to honor her legacy in a positive manner by establishing the Berry Bryant Memorial Scholarship Endowment and placing a granite bench west of the Campus Mall near the performing arts building as a permanent monument.
Bryant led an active life on the NWC campus and was involved in many social activities such as 4-H, band, sports, music and junior leadership. Berry’s namesake scholarship will support students who follow her example of community involvement.
Sharon Bryant, Berry’s mom, became a strong advocate for women and for the prevention of domestic abuse and sexual assault. Her message: “To help women understand their own role in their safety protection, but also (to help) young men understand that they don’t have a right to force women to do things against their will.”