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The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina is pleased to announce the creation of a new $1 million scholarship fund that will give eligible Asheville High School students the chance to go to college nearly cost-free.
"Asheville High School is very grateful for the generous scholarship fund established by Marilyn Lester for deserving Asheville High students," said Asheville High School Principal Carol Ray. "This gift will serve to honor Ms. Lester's commitment to helping students pursue their post secondary educational goals for many years to come." The gift was given from the estate of the late Marilyn Lester, an Asheville native who established the Marilyn Lester and William Lester Scholarship Fund at The Community Foundation. Lester created the fund in 2007 to reflect the pride and appreciation she and her late brother, William "Bill" Lester, Jr., felt about growing up in Asheville and about the education they received in the Asheville school system. Marilyn Lester graduated in 1965 from Lee H. Edwards High School, now known as Asheville High School. Lester's mother, Nina Moore Lester Walsh, encouraged her and her brother to consider any college or university for their own education "as long as it was in North Carolina and state-supported," Lester had said prior to her death. Lester went on to graduate in 1969 with a business degree from UNC Greensboro. Before her death last December, Lester resided in Charlotte and had worked as a divisional merchandise administrator with Belk Charlotte Group until 1989. She stipulated that the scholarship program begin after her death, and it will last in perpetuity. "Thanks to Marilyn's extraordinary generosity and commitment to helping others, many students' lives will be changed by the encouragement and financial help they receive from this scholarship," said Pat Smith, president of The Community Foundation. "We are deeply grateful for this beautiful legacy that, for years to come, will honor Marilyn's love of her community and gratitude for her education." Eligibility The fund will award one scholarship a year, beginning the spring of 2009, to an AHS senior planning to attend one of 10 designated universities in the state-supported North Carolina system. The actual award amount depends on the cost of the student's school, but the scholarship could reach in excess of $12,000 a year. Because the award is renewable for up to three years, the scholarship could pay nearly every fee associated with earning a four-year undergraduate degree. To be eligible, students must also plan to attend or currently attend one of the following institutions: Appalachian State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Asheville, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of North Carolina at Wilmington or Western Carolina University. A selection committee made up of members of the Lee Edwards class of 1965 will award the scholarships, which will be awarded to students based on academic excellence, participation in extracurricular activities and financial need. To apply, students must complete an application, which is available from Asheville High School guidance counselors. Foundation scholarships The Lester Fund is one of the largest scholarships offered through the Foundation, which administers more than 30 scholarship programs ranging from one-time $500 awards to renewable scholarships worth up to $48,000 over four years. In 2006-2007, the Foundation awarded more than $500,000 in college scholarships to students across the 18-county mountain region. (Images provided by Asheville City Schools.)
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