The First Annual Sam A. Johnson Memorial Grant: Honoring Blanca Reyna

At Veterans Yard, we believe that the strongest communities are built by people who refuse to quit. Every year, we will award the Sam A. Johnson Memorial Grant to a barber or cosmetologist in the Corpus Christi / Rio Grande Valley area who embodies the spirit of service, resilience, and community. This year, we are proud to announce our first-ever recipient.

The Legacy Behind the Grant

The Sam A. Johnson Memorial Grant is not just a check. It is a promise. It is a way for VXTY, LLC and Veterans Yard to invest in the people who keep our communities grounded. The grant is named in memory of Sam A. Johnson, whose legacy of hard work, quiet strength, and dedication to family continues to inspire everything we do. This annual $500 grant is our way of passing that legacy forward—one barber, one stylist, one entrepreneur at a time.

Meet Blanca Reyna: The 2026 Recipient

Blanca Reyna is a wife, sister, dog mom, and one of the hardest-working barbers in Corpus Christi, Texas. She graduated from Moody High School in 2013 and went on to complete the cosmetology program at Del Mar College. That accomplishment opened doors, but it was her persistence that kept them open.

Blanca spent years working in salons before finding her true home in a barbershop. She worked there for four years, building relationships and sharpening her craft. Then one day, three men walked into the shop. One of them, Charles Brambila, would become her husband. Together, they built Next LvL Barbershop, which has now been in business for five years.

A Mission That Goes Beyond the Chair

Blanca's story isn't just about haircuts. It's about what happens when a community invests in itself. She and her husband give back every year—free haircuts, school supplies, holiday events—and they mentor new barbers at the local barber college, helping them find their footing in an industry that can be unforgiving.

She knows what it's like to be underestimated. As a woman in the barbering community, she has faced doubt from clients and colleagues alike. Instead of letting that stop her, she used it as fuel. She encourages other women to pick up the clippers. She knows that barbering and cosmetology will always be in demand, and she wants to see more women succeed in it.

The Dream That Drives Her

Blanca's dream is bigger than her own shop. She wants to open a barber-cosmetology school for people with disabilities. She was inspired by a woman in a wheelchair who was denied the opportunity to pursue her cosmetology dreams. That moment stuck with her. She knows that disability does not mean incapable, and she wants to build a place where everyone gets a fair shot.

She also dreams of opening a comfort food truck—the kind of place you go for the meals she grew up with, like arroz con pollo and chicken and gravy. And she's even considering going back to school to become a Dental Assistant, because learning new things is part of who she is.

Why She Won

The Sam A. Johnson Memorial Grant is awarded to someone who has walked through hard times and still found a way to lift others up. Blanca Reyna is that person. She is a barber, a mentor, a business owner, and a community builder. She represents exactly what Veterans Yard stands for: hard work, resilience, and the belief that we are stronger together.

When we asked her what she wants her legacy to be, she said:

"I hope that I will be remembered as the loving person I am who was always willing to lend a helping hand. That person you could call when needed to be heard, encouraged others, and welcomed everyone with open arms."

That is the spirit of the Sam A. Johnson Memorial Grant.

What This Grant Represents

This $500 grant is not just about money. It is about recognition. It is about saying, "We see you. We see the late nights. We see the sacrifices. We see the way you show up for your community." It is VXTY, LLC and Veterans Yard's way of investing in the people who make our communities work.

The grant will be awarded every year to a barber or cosmetologist in the Corpus Christi / Rio Grande Valley area who is building a way for themselves and for others.

A Word of Thanks

To Blanca: Thank you. Thank you for your hard work, your resilience, and your dedication to your craft and your community. You are the first, but you will not be the last. Your story is now part of the legacy of the Sam A. Johnson Memorial Grant.

To Charles, her husband and partner at Next LvL Barbershop: thank you for being her support system. Behind every great barber is a family that believes in them.

To everyone reading this: the Sam A. Johnson Memorial Grant will be back next year. If you know a barber or cosmetologist in the Corpus/RGV area who is building something meaningful, nominate them. This is how we build each other up.

— Robert R. Pierce III, Founder, VXTY, LLC and Veterans Yard