CHESAPEAKE, Va. — An adjunct professor at Tidewater Community College said she feels grateful after two former students came to her aid in a very unexpected way.
Brenda Gibbs said she became stranded in Georgia and South Carolina after she took a short trip to Louisiana. Still, she did not anticipate driving through the damaged areas caused by Hurricane Helene.
Gibbs said the gas in her truck started to run low. “My vehicle had gotten down to where it had just shown you the dashes,” she said.
So, she began posting videos on Facebook asking for help. “I started making posts on social media during that day, and I was just putting them out there. I’m stuck here. I’m showing people where we were. I was telling them about the devastation and just trying to stay light-hearted,” said Gibbs.
Gibbs said she was surprised when her former students reached out and said they would help her.
“That morning, I got a call, and it was, 'Ms. Gibbs! I saw your post on Facebook, and I’m one of your students. One of my buddies and I will come bring you some gas,'” said Gibbs.
Gibbs could not believe it. “They brought me two five-gallon containers of gas,” she said.
Gibbs said her former students gave her enough gas to get to Columbia, South Carolina, where she could buy more, and eventually return home to Virginia.
“I just want to say thank you to my students, even though they want to remain anonymous,” said Gibbs.