South Plains College to honor Scott and Jaime Bryant with Butch’s Rat Hole as 2024 Pacesetter Honorees

LEVELLAND – South Plains College and the SPC Foundation will recognize Scott and Jaime Bryant with Butch’s Rat Hole & Anchor Service as the 2024 Pacesetter honorees at the 26th annual Scholarship Gala.

The honorees will receive the award at the Gala set for 6 p.m. on Feb. 23 at the Mallet Event Center in Levelland. The Pacesetter Award recognizes select benefactors who have provided exemplary support through their philanthropy, service or leadership that makes a difference in the lives of SPC students. The Bryants and Butch’s—a company founded by Scott’s father, L.D. “Butch” Bryant, in 1980—have supported SPC for many years.

Scott, who is the president of Butch’s, and Jaime are SPC alumni who continue to serve the College in many ways. During last year’s Scholarship Gala, Scott offered the record-setting winning bid for the SPC Street Sign Naming, an item donated by the SPC Board of Regents. That night, Scott announced he would be naming the sign after his mother. Last April, Judy Bryant Boulevard was unveiled.

The Bryants also donated to provide the Judy Bryant Outdoor Fitness Court on the Levelland campus. The court, which is designed to provide a full-body workout to patrons, is available to SPC students, faculty, staff and the entire community. The naming of it honors Judy’s 43 years of service at SPC. Her work experience at the college includes serving as a full professor, the chairperson of the physical education department, the women’s basketball coach, and many other positions.

In addition to having family members who were close to the SPC community, Scott and Jaime both have their individual connections with the college that they developed when they were students. For Jaime, who served as a Texan Club hostess, SPC is a place where she said students can meet new people and have close relationships with faculty.

“There’s so much more attention that goes into each student than what you get at a major university,” she said.

As a student, Scott said he did not feel like he was just a number at SPC, which provided him with worthwhile hands-on experience for his career.

“What I like about SPC is what they’re doing with all the different programs,” Scott said. “It’s not just in the classroom, but it’s all the technical programs that give students in the communities and outside of the communities options.”

The various programs offered at SPC help prepare students for the workforce by giving them the right skill set, Scott said. At Butch’s, which was established in Levelland and has since expanded into other counties and states, he said they consider SPC alumni when hiring staff members.

“It’s a big plus for us as we’re recruiting,” Scott said. “As these students come into the work community, it has been a big benefit for us having these programs.”

Scott, whose parents were the 2014 Pacesetter Award recipients, said he is honored to receive the award at this year’s Scholarship Gala.

“We are happy to be a part of the legacy of South Plains College,” Scott said.

Sponsorships and tickets for the Scholarship Gala are still available by calling 806-716-2020 or at www.southplainscollege.edu/gala. All Gala proceeds support scholarships at SPC. For information about the Scholarship Gala or other ways to support SPC students, contact Samantha Goldie at 806-716-2020 or sgoldie@southplainscollege.edu.