Brian Phillips, the first REACH Scholar to pursue a degree from Ogeechee Technical College, is slated to earn his associate degree in Logistics Management in fall 2021.

As a Bulloch County REACH Scholar, Phillips earned up to $10,000 in scholarship funds that he could use at any Georgia REACH eligible college or university. Of the 82 institutions listed as eligible in the state of Georgia, Phillips chose Ogeechee Tech. 

Phillips began his college journey at OTC as a dual enrollment student from Statesboro High School planning to eventually pursue a degree in Logistics. Phillips said he developed a passion for logistics early in life. “I’ve always had a knack for putting things together and working with my hands. I had the opportunity to take some logistics courses in high school and discovered I enjoyed it and was really good at it,” he explained.

In February of 2012, former Governor Nathan Deal, launched REACH Georgia (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) as Georgia’s first public-private, needs-based mentorship and scholarship program. The program exists to lend financial, academic and social support to ensure students graduate from high school and attain a college degree or certificate. 

In 2014, as a 7th grader at William James Middle School, Phillips was selected as one of Bulloch County’s five recipients. “In order to qualify for the scholarship, Brian had to meet several criteria including, attending a school in a participating school system, meeting citizenship and residency requirements and demonstrating academic promise,” said Kristie Sanders, Director of Financial aid at Ogeechee Tech.  “He also had to make sure he maintained a certain grade point average and met with his REACH mentor twice a month, among other things,” she added.

Reflecting on his time as an OTC student, Phillips mentioned how much he has been impacted by the college and the REACH program, “Attending college has always been a dream of mine, and if it weren’t for the REACH program and the resources available to me at Ogeechee Tech I would not be where I am today. I really enjoyed my time as a dual enrollment student and now enjoy taking courses online as a fulltime student of the college.” 

After earning his degree from Ogeechee Tech, Phillips plans to pursue his Bachelor of Business Administration in Supply Chain Management from Georgia Southern University. A Logistics Management articulation agreement signed in August 2019 between Ogeechee Tech and Georgia Southern will allow Phillips to seamlessly transfer his earned credit hours. He plans to one day leverage his education into a career at the Port of Savannah.