In 1924, Bessie Mae Land enrolled at State Teachers College, the institution that would eventually become Longwood University. Land wanted to be a teacher, but shortly after arriving on campus, she was forced to abandon her dream.
 
After her mother's death in 1923, Land had become a cornerstone in caring for her siblings, and a family emergency forced her to return home to Virginia Beach shortly after she enrolled at Longwood. She was unable to return to campus, and her dreams of becoming a schoolteacher went unfulfilled.

Land went on to marry, raise three children and manage the family business alongside her husband, John Gaskins. She passed along her admiration for the teaching profession to her son, Dr. Ray Gaskins, who earned his doctorate in statistics from Virginia Tech in 1972 and taught for 27 years at Hampden-Sydney College as a professor of mathematics and computer science.
 
Now Gaskins, who retired in 1997, is honoring his mother's and his own affection for the education profession with a donation of more than $1 million to Longwood University. The largest gift from a Prince Edward County resident in Longwood's 177-year history, the donation will endow two full scholarships, benefiting many students over time.
 "I was supported all the way through graduate school with scholarships, so I'm just returning the favor now," Gaskins said. "I just want to thank [Longwood senior associate director of athletics for external affairs] Scott Bacon and [Longwood leadership gift officer] Chris Neal for all their help in this process. It was easier than I could have ever anticipated."
 
Gaskins' monumental gift will total $1,035,000 with $1,010,000 earmarked for the endowment of two full scholarships and the remaining $25,000 allotted as operating support for the men's basketball program.
 
The Dr. Ray A. Gaskins Scholarship will be awarded to a member of the Longwood men's basketball team. The Mrs. Bessie M. Land Gaskins Teacher's Scholarship will go to a student who plans to become a teacher.
 
"We are truly honored to receive Dr. Gaskins' generous gift," said Dr. Joan Neff, Longwood provost and vice president for academic affairs. "The fact that the majority of it will support student scholarships speaks to Dr. Gaskins' passion as an educator and his devotion to providing students with the opportunity to obtain an excellent liberal arts education.
 
"In addition, the recipients of the scholarships will benefit from Longwood's focus on preparing citizen leaders, both within the classroom and within the realm of athletic participation. The scholarship in honor of Dr. Gaskins' mother also highlights Longwood's significance as an institution that excels in educating future teachers."
 
Longwood director of athletics Troy Austin described Gaskins' gift as "monumental."
 "Dr. Gaskins has long been a supporter of Longwood University and Longwood athletics, but the step he has taken to endow two scholarships, including one for a student-athlete, is grand in both scope and generosity," Austin said. "Our mission in athletics is to expand the profile of the university, energize the Longwood community, and provide a quality experience for our student-athletes. Ray's support allows us to take all three of those objectives to another level. Longwood is blessed to have Dr. Gaskins as a teammate."

The $530,000 Gaskins will donate to athletics is the largest gift in the history of the department, which is now in its ninth year at the Division I level. The donation is the latest in a decade's worth of support from Gaskins, who has also contributed funding toward the purchase of the video board in Willett Hall along with new computers and scouting software for the men's basketball program. Gaskins has also served on the Lancer Club Advisory Board and is a longtime men's basketball season ticket holder.
 
"I guess I've been coming to basketball games over here for almost 10 years," said Gaskins, a former high-school wrestler and still an avid jogger. "Once I decided to set up this scholarship for my mother, I decided I'd better do one for myself and split it even-steven."
 
Two Longwood students will immediately benefit from the scholarship gift, both of whom share significant connections with Gaskins. The first recipient of the Mrs. Bessie M. Land Gaskins Teacher's Scholarship is Emily Gay '16, an elementary education major and native of Great Bridge, Va. The first recipient of the Dr. Ray A. Gaskins Scholarship is Kanayo Obi-Rapu '18, a sophomore on the men's basketball team, a kinesiology major and native of Greensboro, N.C.
 Gay attended Great Bridge High School, the same alma mater as Gaskins, who was appointed the school's "poet laureate" in 1960. Gay, a member of the Cormier Honors College, and Gaskins did not learn of their high-school connection until they first met in September.
 
"Emily is terrific," said Gaskins. "The fact that she's from Great Bridge – I couldn't have written that script. It worked out terrific. She seems like a wonderful young lady."
 
Obi-Rapu, meanwhile, has organized two grassroots fundraisers in his hometown to raise money for the purchase of automated external defibrillators for local high schools. He took up the cause after a cardiac episode claimed the life of his high-school friend and teammate, Josh Level, during a basketball game. Gaskins' life was recently saved by an AED after he suffered a cardiac event while exercising.
 
"Kanayo is a very personable young man," Gaskins said. "I'm pleased. He has a great academic record. I just hope he can shoot free throws."

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