Community Foundation Awards $147,000 in Scholarships

Sixty-nine talented and hard-working local students are getting help this year in fulfilling a dream — the dream of a college education.

The Outer Banks Community Foundation announced 89 scholarship awards this spring totaling $147,000 to students of all backgrounds and interests, from ballerinas to basketball players, English majors to engineering majors, aspiring chemists to aspiring criminologists.

Forty-one graduating high school seniors from First Flight, Manteo, Cape Hatteras, Ocracoke, and Currituck are receiving Community Foundation scholarships, totaling $82,000 in academic awards. Twelve of those students received multi-year scholarships, representing an additional $67,500 in future, committed scholarship awards.

In addition, 28 college students — all originally from the Outer Banks — received renewed scholarships from the Community Foundation, totaling another $65,000 in awards this year.

Among the scholarship winners this year is Zach Warren, who received the R. Stewart Couch Hatteras Island Scholarship, the Community Foundation’s largest one-year award, totaling $8,900 this year. This need-based scholarship combines an endowment bequest left by the late Stewart Couch, along with donations raised by the Outer Banks Association of Realtors in memory of Mr. Couch after his passing in 2012.

“Many scholarships look for traditional achievement in one area or another, but the Stewart Couch Scholarship is a little bit different,” said Jackie Ricks-Sample, the executrix of Mr. Couch’s estate. “For this scholarship, we were looking more for a ‘diamond in the rough,’ the young person who has outstanding potential, but just needs a little help to achieve his or her educational dreams.”

“I can’t imagine a more deserving first recipient than Zach Warren,” she said. “Zach has excelled in balancing classroom demands with extra-curricular activities that included soccer, tennis, and trombone at Cape Hatteras. He did this while working to help support his family, yet still finding time to volunteer at Three 1 Six Ministries in Frisco. He meets and exceeds every criteria for the Stewart Couch Scholarship.”

Zach plans to study English and secondary education at UNC Charlotte in the fall, with the hopes of one day becoming an English teacher. Zach was also the recipient of the Community Foundation’s Scott Day Family Scholarship, a new award for Hatteras students who plan to study education. The scholarship was established by the family of the late Scott Day, in memory of the teacher and coach who supported countless students in his career, before passing away from cancer in 2014. The scholarship’s goal is to continue Mr. Day’s legacy of inspiring and helping young people.

Another remarkable scholarship recipient this year was Charity Durand, who received the Jerry and Arlene Davis Scholarship, a four-year, $20,000 need-based award. Mr. and Mrs. Davis established this extraordinary scholarship in 2007 to help hard-working students achieve educational dreams that might not otherwise be possible.

“Charity was the outstanding choice for the Davis Scholarship,” said Teresa Osborne, Chair of the Community Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. “She has worked hard at jobs, volunteers at her church, is a section leader in the school orchestra, and has earned wonderful grades. But most of all, Charity inspired us deeply with her maturity and her ability to overcome obstacles and use them as a motivating force for good.”

Charity plans to study nursing at UNC Wilmington in the fall.

Another talented scholarship recipient this year was Matthew Thibodeau, who received the Milton A. Jewell Scholarship, the Community Foundation’s most prestigious merit-based award. Established by bequest by the late Ruth Medgyes of Southern Shores, the Milton A. Jewell Scholarship is granted each year to a new graduating senior with exceptional academic achievement and outstanding leadership qualities. Due to investment earnings, the Milton Jewell award increased this year from $5,000 per year to $6,000 per year, for a total, four-year scholarship of $24,000.

Matthew is the valedictorian of his First Flight High School graduating class, President of the Student Government Association, Field Commander of the marching band, and Captain of the award-winning Remotely Operated Vehicle Club. Matthew plans to attend Rice University in the fall and is interested in studying materials science.

The Community Foundation manages 45 scholarship programs on behalf of families, churches, civic groups, nonprofits, and businesses across the Outer Banks. Anyone can establish a scholarship endowment with the Community Fund, or contribute to one of our existing scholarship funds. Since the organization’s inception in 1983, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $1.6 million in scholarships to over 1,300 Outer Banks students. For more information, call 252-261-8839 or visit www.obcf.org.

 

Outer Banks Community Foundation 2015 Scholarships

Catherine Carrington Clawson Scholarship
Waverly Reibel: $1,500 (Manteo Class of 2015)

Charles H. & Dorothy S. Luedemann Art Scholarship
Savannah Brown: $1,200 renewable (Cape Hatteras Class of 2014)
Gage Clawson: $1,200 renewable (Manteo Class of 2014)
Natasha Fink: $1,200 renewable (First Flight Class of 2015)
Matthew Harrington: $1,200 renewable (First Flight Class of 2015)
Amelia Kasten: $1,200 renewable (First Flight Class of 2013)
Morgan Leatherwood: $1,200 renewable (First Flight Class of 2013)
Nickolas Nelson: $1,200 renewable (First Flight Class of 2013)
Anastasia Ratti: $1,200 renewable (First Flight Class of 2015)
Andrew Sanchez: $1,200 renewable (First Flight Class of 2013)
Jose Valle: $1,200 renewable (First Flight Class of 2014)
Summer Warrington: $1,200 renewable (First Flight Class of 2014)

Courtney M. Burgess Memorial Scholarship
Rachel Dutton: $1,000 (last year of four-year award) (Manteo Class of 2012)
Lia Raves: $1,000 renewable (Manteo Class of 2015)
Sara Seto: $1,000 (last year of four-year award) (First Flight Class of 2012)

Curtis Creech Memorial Scholarship
Abby Haywood: $1,500 (Manteo Class of 2015)

Dare County Association of Fire Officers Scholarship in Memory of Doug Remaley
Stephen Brake: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Brandon Farrow: $1,000 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)
Colby Sawyer: $1,000 (Manteo Class of 2013)

Dare County Outer Banks Jaycees Scholarship
Cheyanne Wescott: $600 renewable (Manteo Class of 2013)

Dare Math & Science Scholarship
Victoria Moore: $1,200 renewable (Manteo Class of 2015)

Dorothy Scott Townsend Fletcher Memorial Scholarship
Krista Cartwright: $1,000 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)
Sarah Jennings: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Kristen Mugford: $1,000 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)

Duck Woods Ladies Tennis Association Scholarship
Ryan Scarborough: $1,000 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)

Elmer & Betty Jo Sawyer Scholarship
Charity Durand: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Kate Tawes: $625 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)
Katherine Williams: $625 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)

First Flight Society Scholarship
Will Fallon: $675 (Currituck Class of 2015)

Founders Scholarship (Duck Woods Ladies Golf Association)
Will Fallon: $2,000 (Currituck Class of 2015)

Frank M. Cahoon Memorial Scholarship
Julia Tawes: $1,500 (Manteo Class of 2015)

George W. Neighbors Memorial Scholarship
Taylor Bancroft: $1,200 renewable (First Flight Class of 2014)

Glenn Eure Arts Education Scholarship
India Murray: $1,000 (Manteo Class of 2015)

Greg & Eden Honeycutt Scholarship
Lucy O’Neal: $3,000 (Ocracoke Class of 2015)
Kate Tawes: $2,000 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)

Inez Daniels Austin Scholarship
Myra Caldwell: $2,400 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)

Jerry & Arlene Davis Scholarship
Madeline Bailey: $5,000 renewable (First Flight Class of 2014)
Charity Durand: $5,000 renewable (First Flight Class of 2015)
Charles Shotton: $5,000 renewable (First Flight Class of 2013)
Hunter Wright: $5,000 (last year of four-year award) (Manteo Class of 2012)

John T. Daniels Scholarship
Suzanne Mullins: $1,000 renewable (Currituck Class of 2014)

Kellogg Cuthrell Manteo Rotary Scholarship
Jay Cueva: $1,200 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Kaitlyn Midgett: $600 (Manteo Class of 2015)

Kiwanis Leo Sheetz Memorial Scholarship
Austin Banks: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Rachel Zuhars: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)

Lacy J. McNeill First Flight Rotary Scholarship
Emily Lyster: $1,800 (First Flight Class of 2015)

Linda Porter’s Shear Genius Scholarship
Krista Cartwright: $1,000 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)

Lucian Griffin Scholarship
Connor Jarvis: $1,100 (Currituck Class of 2015)

Mabel O. Cooper Scholarship
Mitchell Foster: $1,500 (last year of four-year award) (First Flight Class of 2012)
Lia Raves: $1,500 renewable (Manteo Class of 2015)
Paige Twyne: $1,500 renewable (Manteo Class of 2014)
Cheyanne Wescott: $1,500 renewable (Manteo Class of 2013)

Milton A. Jewell Academic Scholarship
Taylor Cecil: $6,000 renewable (Manteo Class of 2014)
Richard Murphy: $6,000 (last year of four-year award) (Manteo Class of 2012)
Zachary Owen: $6,000 renewable (First Flight Class of 2013)
Matthew Thibodeau: $6,000 renewable (First Flight Class of 2015)
Molly Weybright: $1,100 renewable (First Flight Class of 2014)

North Banks Rotary Scholarship
Austin Banks: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Jay Cueva: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Blair Flatt: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Rachel Parsons: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Lia Raves: $1,000 (Manteo Class of 2015)

Ocracoke Island Realty and Village Realty Scholarship
Madeline Bailey: $1,000 renewable (First Flight Class of 2014)
Maclean Frazier: $1,000 renewable (First Flight Class of 2015)
Amanda Gaskins: $1,000 renewable (Ocracoke Class of 2014)
Madeline Nance: $1,000 renewable (Manteo Class of 2015)
Caitlyn Silvio: $1,000 renewable (Currituck Class of 2015)
Courtney Silvio: $1,000 renewable (Currituck Class of 2015)
Daniel Garza Salazar: $1,000 renewable (Beaufort County Community College Student)
Jose Valle: $1,000 renewable (First Flight Class of 2014)
Samantha Styron: $1,000 renewable (Ocracoke Class of 2015)

Outer Banks Association of Realtors Scholarship
Jay Cueva: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Charity Durand: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Abby Haywood: $1,000 (Manteo Class of 2015)
Violet Krawchuk: $1,000 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)
Isaiah Lewis: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Lia Raves: $1,000 (Manteo Class of 2015)
Kate Tawes: $1,000 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)
Anderson Weeks: $1,000 (First Flight Class of 2015)

Peggy O’Brien Scholarship
Leighanne Davis: $1,200 (last year of four-year award) (Currituck Class of 2012)

R. Stewart Couch Cape Hatteras Island Scholarship
Zach Warren: $8,900 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)

Ralph and Ida Lee Saunders Scholarship
Will Fallon: $500 (Currituck Class of 2015)

Robert E. Rollason, Jr. Memorial Scholarship
Mary Alice Blackstock: $1,200 (First Flight Class of 2015)

Sawyer Scholarship
Aaron Zeigler: $5,000 renewable (First Flight Class of 2013)

Scott Day Family Scholarship
Zach Warren: $1,000 (Cape Hatteras Class of 2015)

Sgt. Earl Murray Memorial Scholarship
William Geraghty: $350 (First Flight Class of 2015)

Tom O’Brien Scholarship
Tucker Jarvis: $1,100 (last year of four-year award) (Currituck Class of 2012)

Wallace H. McCown Scholarship
Charity Durand: $1,150 (First Flight Class of 2015)
Abby Haywood: $1,150 (Manteo Class of 2015)

Note: Ocracoke winners will be announced on June 15 at the Ocracoke School graduation.

 

Check out our Facebook page for more photographs of our scholarship recipients!