Bryan and Beth Burke leave legacy ‘for kids who need help’

For years, Bryan (`85) and Beth Averitt Burke (`87) were loyal donors to the University’s annual academics and athletics campaigns.

“We were giving money to the Foundation and to athletics on an annual basis and decided to set up a scholarship as permanent endowment,” said Bryan. “When we found out it could be constructed over a four- to five-year period, we decided, ‘Why not start this for two of our passions – business and math?’

“We both had wonderful experiences and wanted to give back, and this was a great way to do that.”

They established the Bryan and Elizabeth A. Burke Endowment in 2004, making the last installment to the fund in 2007.

At the time, setting up a scholarship was “a bit of a stretch” for a young couple just starting out and having three children, said Bryan, but they jumped at the chance to have a positive influence on future students. “It’s going to be something that we can leave so that long after we’re gone it will still have an impact on kids who need help.”

They chose to endow a University Honors Program scholarship in the College of Business Administration.

Bryan is a native of Brunswick, Ga., who earned his degree in business administration and is president of Blount, Burke, Wimberly and Hendricks Insurors in Statesboro. Beth, a Statesboro native whose undergrad degree is in computer science, is an upper school mathematics teacher and cross- country coach at Bulloch Academy. She also earned a master’s in education from the University.

As closely as they have been affiliated with Georgia Southern, their ties grew even stronger this year when their son, Taylor, signed to play baseball for the Eagles. He will be a freshman this fall. Daughters Haley, in high school, and Ashley, in middle school, are also considering Georgia Southern.

“We just bleed blue and white,” Bryan said. “We really enjoyed our time at Georgia Southern and we see Georgia Southern as such an economic force in Bulloch and surrounding counties. The University’s been good to Beth and me over the years and this is one way we feel like we can pay it back.”