WEF awards $106,500 in scholarships for 2024-2025

The Wilkes Education Foundation (WEF) board approved $106,500 in scholarships to be awarded for the 2024-2025 year. Scholarships include the Wilkes Education Foundation (WEF) Scholarships awarded to Wilkes County students and based upon their scholastic achievements, personal essays, community service efforts, and financial needs; G. Gerald Hendley Family Scholarships awarded to individuals in Wilkes County pursuing careers in the medical fields; Shrimanker Family Scholarship; and Della Arnold Scholarships awarded to students in Wilkes, Iredell, and Yadkin counties who are pursuing ministerial or teaching professions.

Wilkes Education Foundation Scholarships

Totaling $30,000 were awarded to Wilkes County HS students. The first Dr. Keith Bentley Memorial Scholarship of $10,000 was awarded to Andrew Barlow, WECHS.  Receiving WEF scholarship awards of $5,000 each were Quinn Pyke, WCHS; and Madison Dorman, WECHS.  Receiving a scholarship of $3,000 was Jade Wood, EWHS. Receiving a scholarship of $2,000 was Maggie Boykin.  Nena Hunt, WWHS; Mitch Adams, NWHS; Micah Edwards, WWHS; Logan Wagoner, NWHS; and Kimberly Rendon, NWHS, received $1,000 scholarship awards.

G. Gerald Hendley Family Scholarships

Totaling $75,000 were awarded to high school and college students.  Payton Spicer, EWHS, and Auora Higginbotham, WCHS, were each awarded $20,000 scholarships.  Kyleigh Lane, EWHS, Abigail Hatley, EWHS, Savanna Johnson, NWHS, and Faith Combs, WCHS, were awarded scholarships of $2,500 each.   Natalie Mathis, NWHS, and Kali Cook, EWHS, were awarded scholarships of $2,000 each.

College students receiving scholarship awards of $3,000 each were Mary Anna Bailey, Courtney Greene, Nicholas Hall, Alyssa Parker, Sophia Pontzer, Kyle Rhodes, and Rachael Watkins.

The Shrimanker Family Scholarship

of $1,000 was awarded to Violet Royal, NWHS.

The Della Arnold Scholarship

of $500 was awarded to Nora Shaver, EWHS.

The WEF officers and committee chairs are the following:

Jackie Mallory, president; Dr. Bert Young, vice-president; Loretta Shumate, secretary; Jody Hamby, treasurer; Bill Myers, assistant treasurer; David McNeill, fundraising/Hugh Martin Memorial Golf Tournament chair; Marcia Reynolds, scholarships chair; Danny Holman, mini-grants chair; (vacant), nominations chair; and Dr. Gordon Burns, public awareness chair.

Funding for scholarships and grants is obtained from individual and corporate contributions, the annual Hugh Martin Memorial Golf Tournament, and foundation income.

The Wilkes Education Foundation is a private, non-profit, IRS 501(c) (3) tax-exempt endowment corporation dedicated to promoting excellence in education in the Wilkes County Schools. For information about contributing to the WEF, contact Jody Hamby, 302 9th St., North Wilkesboro, NC 28659, or call 336-667-1121. 

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Photo credit Dr. Gordon Burns:

Wilkes Education Foundation Scholarship Recipients

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G. Gerald Hendley Family Scholarship Recipients

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