(June 2023) - CFWNC recently approved scholarships totaling $558,000 to 96 WNC students in 53 schools in 19 counties. More than 60 volunteers from the community worked to review applications and select recipients.
Top recipients are:
- Ruby Blue from Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy who was awarded the Irving Jacob Reuter Award valued at $40,000 over four years.
- Nancy Membreno from School of Inquiry & Life Sciences at Asheville who was awarded the Marilyn Lester and William Lester Scholarship valued at $40,000 over four years.
- Sophia Nash from Asheville High School who was awarded the Marilyn Lester and William Lester Scholarship valued at $40,000 over four years.
- Austin Denny from Mountain Heritage High School who was awarded the Nathaniel Ellis Cannady Jr. Scholarship valued at $20,000 over four years.
- Julia Givens from Charles D. Owen High School who was awarded the Nelle Crowell Fletcher & G.L. Crowell Fund Scholarship valued at $20,000 over four years.
- Kaya Shimer from NC School of Science and Math who was awarded the Clyde and Mildred Wright Endowment Fund Scholarship valued at $20,000 over four years.
- Sadie Struble from Mitchell High School who was awarded the Charles C. and Suzanne R. McKinney Scholarship valued at $20,000 over four years.
- Anderson Tatham from Andrews High School who was awarded the Reichman Scholarship Fund valued at $20,000 over four years.
- Ever Templeton from TriCounty Early College High School who was awarded the Clyde and Mildred Wright Endowment Fund Scholarship valued at $20,000 over four years.
- Maija Zidek from Lake Lure Classical Academy who was awarded the Clyde and Mildred Wright Endowment Fund Scholarship valued at $20,000 over four years.
- Kylee Haynes from West Henderson High School who was awarded the Frances M. Miller Charitable Fund Scholarship valued at $18,000 over four years.
- Emma Wise from Avery County High School who was awarded the Powers Scholarship for Avery County Schools valued at $16,000 over four years.
- Winson Zhang from Pisgah High School who was awarded the Clyde and Mildred Wright Endowment Fund Scholarship valued at $14,000 over four years.
- Gannon Molumby from McDowell High School who was awarded the A. Joe Hemphill, Jr., Scholarship valued at $12,000 over four years.
- Canon Helpman from Swain County High School who was awarded the Gene and Lee Meyer Scholarship valued at $12,000 over four years.
- Carly Hester from Smoky Mountain High School who was awarded the Gene and Lee Meyer Scholarship valued at $12,000 over four years.
- Ben Payne from Swain County High School who was awarded the Gene and Lee Meyer Scholarship valued at $12,000 over four years.
Scholarship endowments can have broad eligibility criteria or can be focused on a particular school or county, offered to students pursuing a degree in a stated field or available to those who will attend a designated college or university.
“Being able to volunteer as a member of a CFWNC scholarship committee has been immensely rewarding,” said Leslie Berry, a volunteer reviewer for the Irving Jacob Reuter Award. “I feel particularly invested in the process, as I attended WNC public schools myself and now my husband, Hal, and I have children in our public school system. After reviewing these scholarship students through the lens of an alumnus, a parent, and, now, a committee member, I can honestly say the caliber of students in our area is extraordinary and we, as a community, should be extremely proud to recognize and celebrate them.”