The Community Foundation of the New River Valley (CFNRV) is pleased to announce a record number of scholarships in 2021. $117,738 in scholarships will be awarded to 78 students from across the New River Valley. The CFNRV will host a celebration for students with a picnic in the park this spring.
The scholarship program began in 2002 to support the educational goals of students. Scholarships can help students reach their full potential, promote a skilled workforce, and develop future community leaders. The program has grown over the past 19 years, awarding $844,949 to more than 700 students from 45 endowed scholarship funds. Individuals, families, and NRV businesses create funds, and the CFNRV manages them.
The 2021 scholarship winners were a diverse group. 21.7% are first-generation college students, and 29.4% of our awardees qualify for a full Pell grant. Recipients will attend a wide range of colleges, with many staying in the state of Virginia. Most winners will attend Virginia Tech, Radford University, and New River Community College.
The CFNRV is excited to expand the number of scholarships given out each year. This is in many thanks to generous donors and organizations in our region. Sally Craig started the Williamsburg Consort Symphonic Band Scholarship Fund after a festival that she and her husband started. After the Festival ended, the scholarship was a great way to keep the memory of the festival. Craig says “Founding the Williamsburg Consort Music Festival was a rewarding experience, and now we are able to keep the memory of our Festival alive for many more years with our Williamsburg Consort Symphonic Band Scholarship Fund with the Community Foundation of the New River Valley. Thanks so much for your help with this!”
CFNRV Chief Executive Officer Jessica Wirgau is pleased to see how scholarship awards continue to grow year over year, “We received over 140 applications this year from so many outstanding students across the NRV. We always wish we could fund more students, and each new scholarship fund created gets us closer to supporting the incredible young people who apply each year. We are grateful to the donors and to the scholarship review committee for their support and dedication of time to this program.”
A complete list of scholarship winners is below. The 2021 scholarship application will open online in October 2021 with a deadline in early February 2022. 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.
2021 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Ana Eliza Avila, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Grace Bailey, $2,000 from the Jo Ann Slate Smith Scholarship Fund.
Elizabeth Benos, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Joshua Bird, $1,000 from the Marcus Allen Ford Scholarship Fund.
Alicia Blackburn, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
David Bower, $3,000 from the Earl Vest and Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship Fund.
Annelise Britton, $1,000 from the Williamsburg Consort Symphonic Band Scholarship Fund.
Ruth Brown, $500 from the Virginia Whittaker Scholarship Fund/Eggleston Community Fund.
Caileigh Chaffin, $1,000 from the Citizens Scholarship Fund.
Brandi Clemons, $1,215 from the Auxiliary of Radford Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund.
Abagail Coe, $1,600 from the Juanita Shelor Hall Scholarship Fund.
Emily Coe, $1,600 from the Juanita Shelor Hall Scholarship Fund.
Molly Cox, $1,215 from the Auxiliary of Radford Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund.
Erin Crawford, $1,000 from the Marie Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund
Jacob Davis, $1,500 from the Marie Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund
Lily Dowd, $1,000 from the Amber Lutz Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Diego Elias, $2,000 from the June Liang Wang Scholarship Fund.
Emma Ferrell, $1,000 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Mindi Freed, $3,260 from the Lineweaver Family Scholarship Fund.
Sheena Gallimore, $920 from the Woodrow and Elma Turman Scholarship Fund.
Mallorie Gardner, $3,000 from the Earl Vest and Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship Fund.
Shaylee Gearhart, $500 from the Evelyn Rutrough Scholarship Fund.
Tyler Gillock, $2,000 from the Plummer Family Scholarship Fund.
Cameron Gilmore, $2,000 from the June Liang Wang Scholarship Fund
Rebecca Godor, $1,000 from the Kalvi Scholarship Fund.
Paulina Hall, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Ciara Hampton, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Rachel Hardison, $840 from the Domermuth Scholarship Fund.
Jared Houseman, $880 from the W. F. Teel Scholarship Fund.
Hannah Jirsa, $500 from the Dana R. and Marilyn Spencer Scholarship Fund.
Ashlyn Kirtner, $1,000 from the Benjamin Eiss Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Neal Klemba, $1,000 from the Terry Helms Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Sebastian Kocz, 1,000 from the Wings Fund.
Emily Kornegay, $1,500 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Sneha Kripanandan, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Gabrielle Laine, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Dasol Lee, $1,000 from the Chris Dudley Scholarship Fund.
Simon Leonessa, $1,500 from the Jim Gwazdauskas Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Alice Lin, $3,000 from the RBN, Inc. Appreciation Scholarship Fund.
Breanna Lytton, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Amelia Mann, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Kayla Marshall, $1,018 from the Warren Lloyd Holtman Freedom Scholarship Fund.
Noah McCarty, $2,000 from the Jo Ann Slate Smith Scholarship Fund.
Emma McMurray, $1,215 from the Auxiliary of Radford Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund.
Molly McPherson, $600 from the Casey Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Hannah Miller, $2,000 from the Josephine D. Shotts Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Kerrie Miller, $1,215 from the Auxiliary of Radford Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund.
Emi Miyazaki, $1,000 from the Blacksburg High School NHS Legacy Fund.
Christian Nichols, $1,000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund.
Jason Oberoi, $1,000 from the Wings Fund.
Josep Ocampo, $1,000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund.
Uchechi Okoronkwo, $1,000 from the Marcus Allen Ford Scholarship Fund.
Seferina Olivo, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Bhavya Patel, $3,000 from the RBN, Inc. Appreciation Scholarship Fund.
Victoria Pratt-Myers, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund
Mackenzie Roach, $2,000 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship Fund.
Ty Robertson, $1,000 from the Jeremy Saunders Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Sarah Rosario, $1,000 from the VFW Post 5311 Legacy Scholarship Fund.
Madeline Sarver, $1,500 from the Eric Sutphin Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Hugh Scarpa-Friedman, $1,000 from the Laura J. Pynn Scholarship Fund.
Sal Scarpa-Friedman, $500 from the Dennis Stauffer Memorial Scholarship Fund.
John Scott, $1,000 from the Benjamin Eiss Memorial Scholarship Fund.
R Cole Shepherd, $2,000 from the Ray and Mary Epperly Family Fund.
Selna Shi, $3,000 from the RBN, Inc. Appreciation Scholarship Fund.
Autumn Shortridge, $1,000 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Brook Smith, $1,000 from the Williamsburg Consort Symphonic Band Scholarship Fund.
Raphaella Stulce, $1,000 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship Fund
Thinna Svetanant, $1,160 from the Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Laci Tankersley, $500 from the A. Phillip Meadows Leadership Fund.
Kaleb Thomas, $1,000 from the Larry Turman Scholarship Fund.
Holden Trimmer, $1,000 from the T. Scott Eaton Scholarship Fund.
Bailey Underwood, $1,000 from the Muffo Family Scholarship Fund.
Hannah Vest, $1,000 from the Allan Mandelstamm Scholarship Fund.
Hannah Walters, $2,000 from the Josephine D. Shotts Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Jacqueline Wang, $2,000 from the June Liang Wang Scholarship Fund.
Jacob Weaver, $1,500 from the Eric Sutphin Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Elaine Webb, $1,000 from the T. Scott Eaton Scholarship Fund.
Bonnie Yang, $3,000 from the RBN, Inc. Appreciation Scholarship Fund.
Maggie Yang, $3,000 from the RBN, Inc. Appreciation Scholarship Fund.