The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina recently approved scholarships totaling $587,000 to 99 students in 57 schools in 22 counties in Western North Carolina.
Sixty volunteers from the community worked to review applications and select recipients.
Top recipients included: Emily Frye from Asheville High School who was awarded the Marilyn Lester and William Lester Scholarship, valued at $40,000 over four years; Lucas Wiley from A.C. Reynolds High School who was awarded the Irving Jacob Reuter Award, valued at $40,000 over four years; Israel Manley from Enka High School who was awarded the Nathaniel Ellis Cannady Jr. Scholarship, valued at $30,000 over four years; and William Windsor from School of Inquiry and Life Sciences who was awarded the Nathaniel Ellis Cannady Jr. Scholarship, valued at $30,000 over four years.
Additional Buncombe County students awarded scholarships include:
Melisa Akduman UNC Charlotte
Kristen Allison Enka High School
Jaiden Bartley Clyde A. Erwin High School
Zaria Bunn School of Inquiry and Life Sciences
Kaylene Cender Asheville Christian Academy
Hannah Chay Asheville School
Emma Cohn School of Inquiry and Life Sciences
Zachary Crain A.C. Reynolds High School
Lily Dickinson School of Inquiry and Life Sciences
Andrew Elliot T.C. Roberson High School
Robert Fender Enka High School
Alison Gaddy Buncombe County Early College High School
Makenzie Hines Asheville High School
Stavroula Iliou North Buncombe High School
Brenda Laney Enka High School
Audrey Meigs A.C. Reynolds High School
Molly Moran North Buncombe High School
Kaitlin Morris Charles D. Owen High School
Caroline Mosher Asheville High School
Zachary Moss Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy
Annabelle Murray West Henderson High School
Eleni Nakos Asheville High School
Brandon Nightingale Charles D. Owen High School
Alex Plemmons Western Carolina University
Emily Shipman Enka High School
Jeffery Short Carolina Day School
David Snider NC School of Science and Mathematics
Grace Stanek T.C. Roberson High School
Chloe Stiles Charles D. Owen High School
Omarri Stover Clyde A. Erwin High School
Nataliya Stynka Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy
Kenya Thompson T.C. Roberson High School
Cecilia Tucker School of Inquiry and Life Sciences
Callie Wolff A.C. Reynolds High School
Luke Wood T.C. Roberson High School
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.
“It is a privilege to work with students, counselors and volunteers from all over Western North Carolina,” said Scholarship Officer Lezette Parks. “I would not be able to do my job well without their help. Working together, we awarded a record high of $587,000 to very deserving students this year. These awards are an investment in the future.”
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) works with families, businesses and nonprofits to strengthen communities through the creation of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking. A permanent charitable resource, the Foundation manages over 1,100 funds and facilitated $20 million in grants last year bringing total giving to more than $254 million since its founding in 1978. Learn more at www.cfwnc.org.