Community Foundation Awards Over $108,000 in Scholarships to NRV Students

The Community Foundation of the New River Valley (CFNRV) is pleased to announce a record $108,708 in scholarships to 81 students from across the New River Valley for 2020. The CFNRV was unable to celebrate these students in person at its Annual Scholarship Banquet, but congratulates these amazing students as they embark on their college careers.

Begun in 2002, the program aims to support the educational aspirations of students so that they can achieve their full potential, to nurture a skilled workforce in the region, and to cultivate future community leaders. The program has grown steadily over the past 18 years, awarding $729,211 to 690 students from over 40 endowed scholarship funds. Funds are created by individuals, families, and NRV businesses, and are managed by the CFNRV.

The 2020 group of scholarship winners was one of the most diverse to date, with 26% of the winners being first generation college students. Recipients will attend a wide range of colleges, with 85.2% staying in the state of Virginia and 12.34% attending out of state colleges. Over 50% of students will be staying in the New River Valley with 38.3% attending Virginia Tech, 18.52% attending Radford University and 8.6% going to New River Community College.

The CFNRV is excited to expand the number of scholarships given out each year, thanks to generous donors and organizations in our region. Tracey Linkous with the Living4bri Scholarship fund says “We are so pleased to be growing our Living4bri Scholarship Memorial with the Community Foundation. With the help of the foundation we are able to offer opportunities to Christiansburg High School graduates pursuing a future in nursing. We have created a legacy for our daughter and are able to participate in the future education of those in our community”.

CFNRV Executive Director Jessica Wirgau hopes the scholarship recipients will be heartened by these awards in an otherwise challenging time for our community. Wirgau said, “Each year we award scholarships is special, but to be able to award more than $100,000 in scholarships this year is particularly meaningful for us and for the donors who support these awards. So many high school graduates and college students are finishing out the school-year remotely, missing friends, and celebrating milestones in ways they never expected. These students are nothing short of remarkable, and I hope they see these scholarships as one more vote of confidence in their ability to succeed, and a celebration of all that they have accomplished already. We are grateful to the individuals, families, and businesses who create these scholarship funds and have worked alongside the CFNRV to grow our scholarship program since 2002. We look forward to welcoming new donors and funding more students as it continues to grow.”

A complete list of scholarship winners is below. The 2020 scholarship application will open online in October 2020 with a deadline in early February 2021. Anyone interested in starting an endowed scholarship fund to support an NRV student may contact the foundation at 540-381-8999 or email jessicawirgau@cfnrv.org.

2020 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Elijah Anderson, $1000 from Plummer Family Scholarship Fund.
Megan Asbrand, $1000 from the Diana Love Legacy Instrumental Music Scholarship Fund.
Katherine Baker, $1000 from the Marcus Allen Ford Memorial Scholarship Fund
Samuel Barnes, $1000 from the Auxiliary of Radford Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund.
Caroline Benson, $500 from the Evelyn Rutrough Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Alicia Blackburn, $3000 from the Lineweaver Family Scholarship Fund.
Kayla Blevins, $1000 from the Doris Huff Elliott Business Excellence Scholarship Fund.
Zachary Blevins, $1000 from the Eric Sutphin Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Grace Burke, $1000 from the Wings Fund.
Elsie Byrd, $1500 from the Ray and Mary Epperly Family Fund.
Summer Carlsen, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Solace Church, $1000 from the Williamsburg Consort Symphonic Band Scholarship Fund.
Leah Copeland, $1000 from the Auxiliary of Radford Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund.
Adam Downs, $880 from the William H. Teel Scholarship Fund.
Krista Duncan, $1000 from the Citizens Scholarship Fund.
Cole Dunlap, $1000 from the Marie Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund.
Allison Foster, $1000 from the Marcus Allen Ford Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Shaylee Gearhart, $1000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund
Cosette Geesey, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Leah Glisson, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Devyn Gossett, $1000 from the Larry Turman Scholarship Fund.
Dollie Gravley, $1000 from the Lineweaver Family Scholarship Fund.
Sophia Haga, $750 from the Laura J. Pynn Scholarship Fund.
Paulina Hall, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Christopher Henley, $1000 from the Wings Fund.
Jett Hooker, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Emily Hungate, $1000 from the Woodrow and Elma Turman Scholarship Fund.
Hannah Jirsa, $500 from the Dana R. and Marilyn Spencer Scholarship Fund.
Allison Jones, $1000 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund
Claudia Jordan,$1000 from the Auxiliary of Radford Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund.
Gage Jordan, $1018 from the Warren Lloyd Holtzman Freedom Scholarship Fund
Zachary Kim, $1000 from the Lambda Horizon Scholarship Fund
Jessica Kniskern, $1300 from the Living4Bri Scholarship Fund.
Sebastian Kocz, $1000 from the Allen Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund.
Emily Kornegay, $1500 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Julia Lucas, $3600 from the Juanita Shelor Hall Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Breanna Lytton, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Kayla Marshall, $1000 from the Allen Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund.
Carleigh Martin, $1000 from the VFW Post 5311 Legacy Scholarship Fund.
Jenna Massey, $500 from the Dennis Stauffer Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Kerrie Miller, $1000 from the Auxiliary of Radford Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund.
Alexander Mills, $1000 from the Chris Dudley Scholarship Fund.
Kayla Monaghan, $2000 from the June Liang Wang Scholarship Fund.
Jackson Moxley, $1000 from the Plummer Family Scholarship Fund
Jason Oberoi, $1400 from the Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad Scholarship Fund.
Camden Osborne, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Dylan Owens, $1500 from the Ray and Mary Epperly Family Fund.
Kourtney Phillips, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Ben Pratt, $1000 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Victoria Pratt-Myers, $500 from the A. Phillip Meadows Leadership Fund.
Morgan Ralph, $840 from the Domermuth Scholarship Fund.
Sarah Rosario, $1000 from the Eric Sutphin Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Lennon Ross, $1000 from the Auxiliary of Radford Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund.
Daniel Salom, $1500 from the Jim Gwazdauskas Memorial Scholarship Fund
Hanna Santolla, $1000 from the Jeremy Saunders Memorial Scholarship Fund
Thomas-Bryce Saul, $2500 from the Earl Vest and Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship Fund.
Gwyneth Schloer, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Nadine Shannon, $1000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund.
Cole Shepherd, $1500 from the Ray and Mary Epperly Family Fund.
Selna Shi, $1000 from the Muffo Scholarship Fund.
Autumn Shortridge, $1000 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Megan Simpson, $1000 from the Amber Lutz Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Delaney Snead, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Reagan Snead, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Allison Spangler, $700 from the Mary Ann King Peters Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Kathryn Stefano, $2500 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Thinna Svetanant, $750 from the Blacksburg High School National Honor Society Legacy Fund.
Dakota Talbert, $2000 from the Jo Ann Slate Smith Scholarship Fund.
Holden Trimmer, $500 from the VFW Post 5311 Legacy Scholarship Fund.
Bailey Underwood, $2500 from the Earl Vest and Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship Fund.
Kinsey Verbrugge, $750 from the Casey Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Hannah Vest, $1000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund.
Hailey Wade, $1000 from the Lineweaver Family Scholarship Fund.
Jacob Weaver, $1000 from the Eric Sutphin Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Erika Webb, $2000 from the Jo Ann Slate Smith Scholarship Fund.
Stephanie Welbaum, $750 from the Blacksburg High School National Honor Society Legacy Fund.
Emma Whitlock, $1000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund.
Ellen Wilder, $500 from the T. Scott Eaton Scholarship Fund.
Kaitie Woods, $1500 from the Ray and Mary Epperly Family Fund.
Emma Woolsey, $1000 from the Terry Helms Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Alice Xu, $1000 from the Marie Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund.