This spring, the Community Foundation of the New River Valley (CFNRV) gave out $141,066 in scholarships to 81 students living or studying in the New River Valley (NRV), including 20 who are first in their family to attend college.
The CFNRV celebrated with the scholarship recipients and their loved ones at a luncheon on May 7.
Since 2002, the CFNRV has awarded $1,114,731 to 940 students pursuing a wide variety of majors and certifications. Many of these students are funded for multiple years throughout their higher education experiences. Funding for these scholarships comes from generous donors, including individuals, families, and businesses, all with a desire to support the continuing education of high school seniors, college students, and students attending trade or technical schools.
“My mother, June Wang, loved being a teacher at Blacksburg High School. Students were her top priority and she cared deeply about instilling in them a sense of global citizenship and community involvement,” said Xiao-Wei Wang, who, along with her family, established the June Liang Wang Scholarship Fund, which gave out two scholarships this year. “With thanks to community support and under the direction of the CFNRV, we are able to continue mom’s legacy through her memorial scholarship.”
Donors work with the CFNRV to set up a scholarship fund based on specific criteria such as where the student is attending school, their financial needs, or their career goals. When the fund is fully endowed, income generated from the investment can start awarding scholarships annually, with the goal of funding students for generations to come. Currently, the foundation has 50 scholarship funds.
The 2023 scholarship recipients include 50 high school seniors, with the greatest number of students coming from Blacksburg High School (11), Floyd County High School (10), Christiansburg High School (8), Eastern Montgomery High School (6), and Auburn High School (4.) Also receiving scholarships this year are 31 college students, with the most students coming from Virginia Tech (16) and New River Community College (6.)
“We received a record number of applications this year and I am proud to say that we were able to fund over half of them,” said Laura Pynn, who manages the CFNRV scholarship program. “It is very important to us to help students find a way to realize their dreams when, for so many, college seems so out of reach.”
Next year’s scholarship application cycle will open this October, with a deadline to apply in January 2024. Anyone interested in learning more about establishing a scholarship fund to support students in our region may contact the foundation at 540-381-8999 or cfnrv@cfnrv.org.
Recipients include:
High School Students:
Auburn High School
Rachel Brotherton, $1,900 total from the W. F. Teel Scholarship Fund & the Laura J. Pynn Scholarship Fund
Dawson Richards, $1,900 from the Juanita Shelor Hall Memorial Scholarship Fund
Macaela Richmeier, $1,900 total from the Juanita Shelor Hall Memorial Scholarship Fund & the Teel Family Scholarship Fund
Kira Samuel, $1,900 from the Juanita Shelor Hall Memorial Scholarship Fund
Blacksburg High School
Mercy Akanmu, $1,800 from the June Liang Wang Scholarship Fund
Patrick Davis, $1,000 from the Terry Helms Memorial Scholarship Fund
Mia Farley, $840 from the Dana R. & Marilyn Spencer Scholarship Fund
Norah Griggs, $1,065 from the Allan Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund
Nicholas Harvey, $600 from the Dennis Stauffer Memorial Scholarship Fund
Suzie Kim, $1,000 from the BHS National Honor Society Legacy Scholarship Fund
Maeve Rensberger, $1,420 from the Auxiliary of Radford Community Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund
Mila Santsaver-Jones, $1,500 from the Chris Dudley Scholarship Fund
Gabriel Syed, $500 from the A. Phillips Meadows Leadership Fund
Sam Woolsey, $1,800 from the June Liang Wang Scholarship Fund
Edric Zhang, $1,500 from the Jim Gwazdauskas Memorial Scholarship Fund
Christiansburg High School
Emily Abbott, $1,770 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund
Carson Ballard, $1,500 from the Doris Huff Elliott Business Excellence Scholarship Fund
Thaxton Henley, $1,000 from the Eric E. Sutphin Memorial Scholarship Fund
Hayden Kyle, $1,000 from the VFW Post 5311 Legacy Scholarship Fund
Taylor Rasmussen, $2,000 from the Josephine D. Shotts Memorial Scholarship Fund
Anna Rayne, $1,000 from the Eric E. Sutphin Memorial Scholarship Fund
Faith Sarver, $1,420 from the Auxiliary of Radford Community Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund
McKenna Spaulding, $1,300 from the Marcus Allen Ford Memorial Scholarship Fund
Eastern Montgomery High School:
Logan Boone, $700 from the Casey Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund
Madison Bruce, $1,000 from the Muffo Family Scholarship Fund
Abigail Felty, $1,000 from the Laura J. Pynn Scholarship Fund
Jenna Gadd, $1,780 from the Epperly Family Fund
Lucas Jones, $1,018 from the Warren Lloyd Holtzman Freedom Scholarship Fund
Madeline Mirolli, $1,065 from the Marie Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund
Floyd County High School:
Avery Cantrell, $1,000 from the Citizens Scholarship Fund
Melanie Gallimore, $1,000 from the Larry Turman Memorial Scholarship Fund
Maria Garcia Diaz, $3,000 total from the RBN Inc. Appreciation Scholarship Fund & Amber D. Lutz Memorial Scholarship Fund
James Holt, $1,100 from the Woodrow & Elma Turman Scholarship Fund
Vanessa Hylton, $2,190 from the Earl Vest & Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship Fund
Jessica Long, $1,000 from the Williamsburg Consort Symphonic Band Scholarship Fund
Andrew Martin, $2,190 from the Earl Vest & Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship Fund
Carly Thompson, $1,600 from the Mary Ann King Peters Memorial Scholarship Fund
Hallie Williams, $500 Evelyn Rutrough Memorial Scholarship Fund
Victoria Wood, $2,190 from the Earl Vest & Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship Fund
Narrows High School:
Kaleah Handshoe, $2,000 from the Josephine D. Shotts Memorial Scholarship Fund
Mya Robertson, $1,000 from the Domermuth Scholarship Fund
Virginia Bowles, $1,420 from the Auxiliary of Radford Community Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund
Pulaski County High School:
Sydney Farley, $2,000 from the Jo Ann Slate Smith Scholarship Fund
Emilie Hall, $2,000 from the Jo Ann Slate Smith Scholarship Fund
Zachary Parker, $2,000 from the Simón-Flora-Grohs Scholarship Fund
Plus, one student each from:
Cassidy Callister, Springhouse Community School, $1,000 from the T. Scott Eaton Scholarship Fund
Liam Gillock, Grayson County High School, $1,180 from the Plummer Scholarship Fund
Hollie Fletcher, Giles High School, $500 from the Virginia Whitaker Memorial
Scholarship Fund
Angie Lin, Radford High School, $1,770 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund
Dianna White, Galax High School, $1,180 from the Plummer Scholarship Fund
University students:
Bridgewater College
Logan Douthat, $1,420 from the Auxiliary of Radford Community Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund
Jared Nichols, $4,000 from the James E. & Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund
New River Community College:
Helen Beavers, $1,250 from the Wings Fund
Jaycee Chaffin, $2,190 from the Earl Vest & Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship Fund
Kenzee Chaffin, $2,190 from the Earl Vest & Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship Fund
Gracenne Clinger, $1,250 from the Wings Fund
Eliany Garcia-Bermudez, $3,000 from the RBN Inc. Appreciation Scholarship Fund
Shuler Williams, $500 from the Living4Bri Scholarship Fund
Virginia Tech:
Madison Blake, $2,500 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Ruthie Brown, $2,500 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Krista Carlton, $2,000 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Victoria Fedik, $4,000 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Ella Fitzgerald, $3,500 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Heidi Gomez, $2,000 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Jack Hammock, $1,950 from the Lineweaver Family Scholarship Fund
Angelina Jannace, $500 from the Lambda Horizon Scholarship Fund
Alexandra Jones, $2,500 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Gage Kelly, $1,950 from the Lineweaver Family Scholarship Fund
Suin Kim, $2,000 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Seferina Olivo, $4,000 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Megan Phan, $2,500 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Harbalbeen Rai, $4,000 total from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund & the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund
Morgan Ralph, $2,500 from the VT Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Hanna Santolla, $1,720 from the Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad Memorial Scholarship Fund
Plus, one each from:
Sydney Fritz, Brown University, $1,018 from the Warren Lloyd Holtzman Freedom Scholarship Fund
Andrea Leng, Washington University in St. Louis, $2,000 from the Benjamin Eiss Memorial Scholarship Fund
Jaden Nichols, James Madison University, $4,000 from the James E. & Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund
Josep Ocampo, College of William and Mary, $3,000 from the RBN Inc. Appreciation Scholarship Fund
Cole Shepherd, Delta State University, $1,065 from the Allan Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund
Selna Shi, Virginia Commonwealth University, $3,000 from the RBN Inc. Appreciation Scholarship Fund
Brittle Williams, Radford University, $1,065 from the Marie Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund