The Community Foundation Awards Scholarships Totaling $558,000

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) 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.

Buncombe County top recipients included:

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  • Ruby Blue from Martin L. Nesbitt Academy who was awarded the Irving Jacob Reuter Award, valued at $40,000 over four years, and the Rotary Club of Asheville Harry R. Morrill Scholarship, valued at $5,000
  • Nancy Membreno from School of Inquiry and Life Sciences who was awarded a Marilyn Lester and William Lester Scholarship, valued at $40,000 over four years
  • Sophia Nash from Asheville High School who was awarded a Marilyn Lester and William Lester Scholarship, valued at $40,000 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

Other Buncombe County students awarded scholarships are:

Tetiana Alnasraween                                     A. C. Reynolds High School
Ximena Reyna-Campozano                          A. C. Reynolds High School
Emilia Conley                                                  Asbury University
Samuel Rattigan                                             Asheville High School
Zhtaviya Byrd                                                  Asheville High School
Riley Johnson                                                  Charles D. Owen High School
Case Alexander                                               Enka High School
Noah Cook                                                       Enka High School
Sydney Hoppensteadt                                   Enka High School
Sareh Whittemore                                         Enka High School
Natalie Messer                                                Enka High School
Nathan Cerda                                                  IC Imagine
Alyssa Shoof                                                    Madison Early College High School
Wheeler Fisher                                               Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy
Rachel White                                                   Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy
Janae Wofford                                                Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy
Erin Chen                                                          NC School of Science and Math
Andrew Knight                                                NC State University
Chad Clark                                                       North Buncombe High School
Rebecca Moore                                              North Carolina State University
Iris Schreiner                                                   School of Inquiry and Life Sciences
Isaac Weir                                                        School of Inquiry and Life Sciences
Daijah Elliott                                                    School of Inquiry and Life Sciences
Floria Apostolova                                           T.C. Roberson High School
Jacob Asbill                                                      T.C. Roberson High School
Claire Lim                                                         T.C. Roberson High School
Emily O’Briant                                                 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Aaron Bennett                                                Western Carolina University
Michael Halpin                                                Western Carolina University

Scholarship endowments can have broad eligibility criteria, 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.”

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 1,200 funds and facilitated $34 million in grants last year bringing total giving to more than $362 million since its founding in 1978.

Learn more at www.cfwnc.org.