Scholarships

Scholarship Applications Due
February 12, 2027

WEF awards $96,500 in scholarships for 2025-2026

The Wilkes Education Foundation (WEF) board approved $96,500 in scholarships to be awarded for the 2025-2026 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 $19,000 were awarded to Wilkes County HS students. The Dr. Keith Bentley Memorial Scholarships of $5,000 each were awarded to Mark Davis, WECHS and Alaina Church, WWHS. Receiving WEF scholarship awards of $1,000 each were Lauren Pruitt, NWHS; Salem Woodruff, WWHS; Isabelle Byers, WECHS; Brittany Whitaker, WECHS; Adamaris Duran-Lara, WECHS; Rachel Brummer, WECHS; Jake Wagoner, WCHS; Trey Johnson, NWHS; and Kelly Ta, WECHS.

G. Gerald Hendley Family Scholarships

Totaling $75,000 were awarded to high school and college students. Ava Johnson, NWHS; Alexis Beckelhimer, WCHS; and Eli Johnson, WWHS, were each awarded $7,000 scholarships. Hannah Welborn, WCHS; Ava Darnell, EWHS; Cooper Huffman, EWHS; Hannah Mathis, EWHS; Laney Moffitt, NWHS; and Kensley Wise, WECHS, were awarded scholarships of $5,000 each.

College students receiving scholarship awards of $3,000 each were Jacob Chapman, Amara Epley, Courtney Greene, Abigail Hatley, Loyanna Hubbard, Emilia Krenz, Andrew Scarbro, and Anna Tilley.

The Shrimanker Family Scholarship

of $1,000 was awarded to Bayleigh Harris, WWHS.

The Della Arnold Scholarship

of $500 was awarded to Nathaniel Darnell, EWHS.

The WEF officers and committee chairs are the following:

Dr. Bert Young, President; Lee Bentley, Vice-President; Loretta Shumate, Secretary; Jody Hamby, Treasurer; Bill Myers, Assistant Treasurer; David McNeill, Fundraising/Hugh Martin Memorial Golf Tournament Chair; Marcia Reynolds, Scholarship Chair; Danny Holman, Mini-Grants Chair; Bill Myers, Nominations Chair; and Bill Myers, Finance and Audit 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.

Photo credit Dr. Gordon Burns: