Beaufort County Community College has officially opened the Rev. Dr. Robert B. Cayton Aurora Center, a new 5,000-square-foot facility at 319 S. 5th St. in Aurora, N.C., expanding access to education and workforce training in southeastern Beaufort County.
The college marked the milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 9, bringing together community members, elected officials, and regional partners.
A $3 Million Investment in Eastern North Carolina
The new facility represents a $3 million investment, made possible in part by a $2.5 million State Capital and Infrastructure Fund directed grant from the North Carolina General Assembly. A.R. Chesson Construction built the facility, with architectural design by JKF Architecture.
It is the first Beaufort CCC building constructed on land not connected to its main campus in Washington, N.C.
Education and Workforce Training Under One Roof
The Aurora Center will house GED and English Language Acquisition classes, serving residents in the southeastern corner of the county who previously had fewer options for nearby educational programs.
The center will also serve as a dedicated training hub for Nutrien and its contractors. Nutrien operates a phosphate mine near Aurora, making the location a strategic fit for workforce development tied to one of the region’s largest employers.
Classes at the new facility are scheduled to begin in August.
Named for a Champion of Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
The center honors the legacy of the late Rev. Dr. Robert B. Cayton, an Aurora native who served on the Beaufort CCC Board of Trustees for 27 years, including as board chair from 2018 until his death in 2022.
College leadership reflected on what Dr. Cayton meant to the institution and the region.
“Rev. Cayton was one of the finest people I’ve ever known,” said Loope. “Born and raised here in Richmond Township, he spent his whole life in service to this township, Beaufort County, and Eastern North Carolina. He always iterated that the number one function of the college was to break the cycle of poverty in Eastern North Carolina, and with that in mind, this center named in his honor will carry that mission forward.”
Get Started on GED
Interested in GED classes, English Language Acquisition programs, or workforce training at the Aurora Center?