Introducing TCC Women’s Basketball Head Coach Rebecca Kershaw

On Wednesday, February 12, Tidewater Community College introduced Rebecca Kershaw as the new head coach of the women’s basketball team and welcomed her to the TCC community during an athletics press conference at the Portsmouth Campus Student Center.

Rebecca Kershaw attended Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, VA where she excelled as a student athlete participating in basketball, volleyball, softball, and tennis. She has devoted the last 17 years to education and coaching, assistant coaching at the high-school level and coaching basketball at Hugo A. Owens Middle School for the past eight years where her teams made five semi-final appearances, received one runner-up award, and won the City Championship title in the Chesapeake Middle School League.

Kershaw feels very blessed to have the opportunity to serve as TCC’s inaugural women’s basketball head coach, and is looking forward to setting the foundation for a strong and successful team.

“The first thing I want to do is build trust, and let these ladies know that I have their best interests at heart,” said Kershaw.

TCC Athletic Director Chad Smith introduced Coach Kershaw at the press conference, highlighting her successes as a multi-sport student athlete and praising her for not only being an excellent teacher, but also an excellent role model.

Kershaw spoke about her dedication to her new role and the visions she has for the future of the TCC athletics program.

“I understand that I have been called to serve, and coaching basketball is my platform to change lives one play at a time,” said Kershaw. “I believe that TCC’s athletic department will create endless opportunities for our student athletes, and I see TCC’s athletic department bringing home some hardware!”

Kershaw also spoke to the fact that both she and the men’s basketball head coach, Clint Wright Sr., will demand not only athletic excellence from their teams, but will also emphasize the importance of academic success.

“We are here to compete, but we are also here to be athletic scholars, that is what’s important here at TCC,” said Kershaw.

Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, TCC will join the Region 10 conference of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), competing against other two-year colleges in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. TCC will be the largest community college in Virginia to offer competitive athletics.

TCC President Marcia Conston is thrilled about the addition of a competitive athletics program at the college.

“The combination of an affordable higher education experience and an engaging athletics program is something that students in our region truly deserve. We look forward to the new opportunities this will create for our students and community,” said Conston.

The college also revealed its new StormBird mascot, which builds on the former STORM identity. The StormBird will debut when competition begins this fall. Details about game schedules, ticket information, and TCC Storm merchandise will be announced in the coming months.

For more information on TCC’s new athletics program, visit tcc.edu/sports or follow TCC Athletics on Instagram at TCCStormSports.

Black History Month Fireside Chat Features Hampton Roads Power Panel

TCC Student Life and the TCC Business, Computer Science and IT Pathway partnered with Black BRAND to host an educational panel and networking event at the Norfolk Student Center Wednesday afternoon, February 12, in celebration of Black History Month. The panel featured a dynamic group of visionaries and thought-leaders who led a meaningful conversation about Black intelligence, excellence, and liberation.

In correlation to the 2025 Black History Month national theme, African Americans & Labor, the panelists answered questions about Black empowerment in the workforce and collaborative efforts to build collective wealth.

Co-moderated by Dean Nancy Prather-Johnson and Dr. ClauDean Kizart, the panel hosted an array of entrepreneurs, educators, and nonprofit professionals

Vivian Oden, the vice president for Equity and Inclusion at the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, has an extensive history in philanthropy and pursuing inclusivity and equitability in her community. As the co-creator of Unmasking Hampton Roads, a three-part learning series designed to examine historic and contemporary impacts of racism in Hampton Roads, she is dedicated to educating her community and giving them the tools that they need to fight against systemic racism.

Michelle Ellis Young is the CEO of the South Hampton Roads YWCA, and was recently recognized as Wavy News’ Remarkable Woman of the Year. She has been dedicated to helping organizations commit to diversity and inclusion and works as a community advocate to strengthen social movements that eliminate racism, empower women, and promote justice.

Dr. Shameka Gerald is a managing director at 2Revolutions and a proud Tidewater Community College alumna. She has over two decades of educational leadership experience and uses her voice to promote transformative changes to educational systems that will build young people up and contribute to the collective growth of her community.

Dr. Tiffanye Sledge is a professor of Sociology at Tidewater Community College. Her experience as an educator has allowed her to promote her strong ideals of inclusivity and united change in the classroom, as well as in her community.

Edward Fairley is a public speaker, author, podcast host, and founder of Know Love Inc, a relationship counseling firm. His experience as a relationship mentor has allowed him to understand the foundations of personal connections and how cultural factors can play a role in your day-to-day interactions.

Brian Owens is an entrepreneur dedicated to positively impacting his community by providing business owners with the technical assistance and support that they need in order to be successful. As a program manager at Black BRAND, he works to innovate and empower Black businesses in the Hampton Roads community by promoting group economics through professional development.

The members of the panel each brought their own expertise and insight to the conversation as they discussed the importances of unity and community in regards to Black labor. The two-hour panel gave speakers an opportunity to discuss Black labor in America in regards to needs of unity, collaborative support, and remembrance when it comes to creating a guide for individuals in the space to challenge systems and promote progressive ideas.