Ruritan Club holds scholarships dinner the honorees
Stafford Ruritan Club held a Scholarship Dinner May 12 in order to present awards to this year's recipients of $20,000 from GEICO and the Ruritan Club
Date published: 5/20/2008
REBECCA J. BARNABI
Camille Giles of Colonial Forge High School in Stafford County said she will use her $1,000 scholarship to pursue elementary education at Chowan University in North Carolina.
Christopher Bauman of North Stafford High School plans to major in computer engineering at Virginia Tech with the help of his $2,000 scholarship.
Dayn Washburn of North Stafford High School will pursue history at Christopher Newport University with the help of his $1,000 scholarship.
These scholarships were made possible by the $10,000 the Stafford County Ruritan Club raised this year for high school scholarships. Geico agreed to match that with their own $10,000 contribution.
The club held a dinner on May 12 to honor all the scholarship recipients and recognize their parents.
Club vice president Rick Frank welcomed the gathering of club members and their spouses, parents and scholarship recipients at the Fredericksburg Country Club.
Following dinner, Wendell Latham and Lou Illi, co-chairs of the club's scholarship committee, presented awards.
Latham explained how he was on the phone with Geico representative Amanda Talbot when she said that Geico would contribute $10,000.
"It was a real delight," said Latham. "I almost fell out of my chair."
The Ruritan Club awarded a $2,000 scholarship to one senior from each of Stafford County's five high schools.
Geico presented 10 additional seniors with a $1,000 scholarship for each.
William Smith received the Hunter Greenlaw Memorial Scholarship from the Ruritan Club. The late Hunter Greenlaw was a member of the Stafford Ruritan Club and in 49 years of membership never missed a meeting, according to the club.
William, a senior at Stafford High School, said he will pursue chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall.
The club also awarded the S.K. Young Memorial Scholarship to Christina Pierson in honor of late club member Young who never missed a meeting in 56 years of membership.
Christina, a senior at Brooke Point High School, said she will attend Liberty University.
Among the other scholarship recipients are Brooke Point High School's Katherine Porlles who will pursue international business at Northern Virginia Community College. She hopes to transfer to Georgetown University in Washington with the help of $1,000 from Geico.
Samuel King, of North Stafford High School, will major in motorsports engineering at the University of North Carolina with $1,000 from Geico.
Stafford High School's Crystal Morales will pursue business management as a student at The College of William & Mary this fall. With the help of a $1,000 scholarship from Geico, she will be a pre-law major.
"It's wonderful we can be a part of a contributor to their success," said Lou Illi to the crowd.
As Latham asked parents of the scholarship recipients to stand and be recognized, Latham referred to the scholarship winners as "tomorrow's leaders."
Rebecca J. Barnabi: 540/374-5426 Email: rbarnabi@freelancestar.com
| Scholarship recipients:
Stafford Ruritan Club scholarship winners:
Christina Pierson, Brooke Point High
J. Wesley Moore V, Colonial Forge High
Jacob Slayton Hodges, Mountain View High
Christopher Joseph Bauman, North Stafford High
William A. Smith, Stafford High
Geico/Stafford Ruritan Club Partnership Scholarship winners:
Danielle Reece and Katherine Porlles, Brooke Point High
Camille Giles and Hiral Patel, Colonial Forge High
Mary M. Cooper and Sarah Cassell, Mountain View High
Dayn Washburn and Samuel D. King, North Stafford High
Emily H. Kindred and Crystal R. Morales, Stafford High |
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Date published: 5/20/2008
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