Onya Gardner holds two high-level leadership positions at Brunswick Community College as both associate vice president of continuing education and workforce development and the BCC head women’s basketball coach.
While these are two distinctly different jobs, she said her goal is always the same.
“I have a servant’s heart. I just want to help people, to lend a hand. I genuinely want to do that,” Gardner said.
She started working at BCC 18 years ago as a receptionist, then worked her way through various other positions in the college, including administrative assistant, internal auditor and dean.
“I grew up here, and I live by the Bible verse Luke 12:48 that says, ‘To whom much is given, much is demanded,’ and I am eternally grateful for my great family, great co-workers and the leadership too,” Gardner said.
A Brunswick County native, Gardner’s father also worked in education, teaching English and history, as well as working as an assistant principal in Brunswick County schools.
Having two leadership roles could be overwhelming for some, but Gardner said she knows her limits.
“I believe in a team concept. I don’t mind asking for help, and I don’t mind doing it afraid. I do believe in our middle name, ‘Community,’ and believe our community will rally around me when I am in need,” she said.
Whether it is on the basketball court or in the classroom, Gardner said she strives to help people be the best they can be.
“I like to focus on how we serve our citizens. It is like our motto says, ‘You can start here and go anywhere,’” she said. “It is the first step to achieve your goals.”
Gardner highlighted the various training programs BCC offers in its continuing education and workforce development division, which she said, “provides a trained, skilled workforce in Brunswick County.”
The division includes short-term training opportunities ranging from basic skills, high-school diplomas or equivalencies to cultural programs and certifications.
Pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs also fall under the division.
“After high school, whether you choose to go to college or not, everybody needs to work. So, I feel that’s our charge, to put our citizens to work, and we help them to be safe, skilled and professional. And it is affordable. I cannot say enough about the affordability of our workforce development and training,” Gardner said.
She said the community college’s wide range of programs offers something for everyone.
“We have classes from beauty and wellness licensure to culinary arts to industrial electrician; it runs the gamut. Whatever your heart may desire, we have the desire to help you reach that goal,” Gardner said.
In addition to helping students find training for jobs that will support their goals, she wants to continue to build on BCC’s Dolphins women’s basketball team’s recent momentum.
Gardner previously served as assistant coach from 2016 to 2019 and continued to support the program as a team mentor since 2020.
In July, the college named Gardner as the program’s new head coach.
Last season, according to the school, the team finished its record-setting season with 15 wins and competed in the NJCAA Region 10 Tournament semifinals.
While helping her student-athletes on the court, Gardner also highlights the lessons she hopes her student-athletes will embody as they move through life off the court.
“I tell my basketball players, ‘I want you to leave BCC with more than just basketball stories,’” Gardner said. “Though basketball can be a vehicle to reach other goals, I want them to be women of good character, leaders in the community, and that will translate to the court, competing with excellence and respect.”
As an active member of the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, Gardner serves as president of the local chapter Alpha Psi Omega. The sorority is one of the oldest Greek-lettered organizations established by African American, college-educated women. Gardner serves as a mentor, supporting young women and helping them reach their goals by exposing them to a wide range of opportunities.
“That sisterhood is a legacy our players share as ambassadors of Brunswick Community College, and I want that to speak for itself in recruiting student-athletes to BCC,” Gardner said.
Through Alpha Kappa Alpha, she runs diaper banks, clothing drives, wherever there is a need to be met, Gardner works to fill that void.
In the little downtime she does have, Gardner said she enjoys reading and enjoying time with family and friends.
“That is fun for me,” she said, “and checks that box for me.”
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