| BLACKSBURG – This spring, the Community Foundation of the New River Valley (CFNRV) awarded more than $170,000 in scholarships to 93 students either from the New River Valley (NRV) or studying here. This outstanding group of students includes 57 high school seniors, 35 college students, and one future veterinarian. 21 of these students are the first in their families to attend college or university. Since awarding its first scholarship in 2002, the CFNRV has given out $1.43 million in scholarships to 1,126 students.
This year’s 93 recipients are funded by 53 different endowed scholarship funds set up by families, individuals, and businesses. Each of these funds has a unique purpose and set of criteria for the type of student the donor(s) would like to support. These criteria can include things like wanting to support students pursuing specific majors or career paths, students from specific regions, schools, or economic backgrounds, and much more. Many of these scholarships are renewable, allowing students to re-apply each year to get support throughout their time in school.
“It is common to hear people characterize the world as uncertain right now, but our scholarship program reminds me that much remains certain,” said Jessica Wirgau, the CFNRV’s Chief Executive Officer. “The talent and intelligence of our scholarship recipients, the support they receive from friends and family, the incredible generosity of our donors, and the unique character of the New River Valley, all of these remain certain. The future of the NRV is limitless with these scholarship recipients, and we are grateful to be a part of their journey.”
Each year, the scholarships that students receive depend on the size of each endowed scholarship fund. Once the scholarship fund reaches a minimum endowment of $15,000, the money in the fund is invested and the earnings generated become that year’s scholarship awards. The goal of each fund is to exist forever, awarding money to students for generations to come.
The CFNRV’s scholarship application opens online each October at cfnrv.org/scholarships. High school seniors, current students, and older adults returning to school are encouraged to apply. Scholarships are available for those attending or planning to attend colleges or universities as well as trade or technical schools. Additionally, one fund gives out an annual scholarship to a student attending the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Those interested in setting up a scholarship fund can reach out to the CFNRV team at cfnrv@cfnrv.org or 540-381-8999.
Below is the list of the CFNRV’s 2025 scholarship recipients, organized in alphabetical order by school.
High school Seniors (57)
Auburn High School (2 students)
- Madison Booth received $2,000 from the Juanita Shelor Hall Memorial Scholarship
- Nicholas Shepherd received $1,100 from the W.F. Teel Scholarship
Blacksburg High School (15)
- Brice Abbott received $1,500 from the Chris Dudley Scholarship Fund
- Lucy Bonadeo received $1,100 from the Allan Mandelstamm Scholarship
- Arthur Bond received $1,000 from the T. Scott Eaton Memorial Scholarship
- Coraline Bond received $2,250 from the June and Joseph Wang Memorial Scholarship
- Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Bond received $1,000 from the Muffo Family Scholarship
- Gregory Driscoll received $1,060 from the Diana Love Legacy Instrumental Music Scholarship
- Anthonoy Du received $800 from the Casey Jones Memorial Scholarship
- Brynn Ferguson received $1,833 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship
- Evelynn Ihlefeld received $1,000 from the Highlands Fund
- Amen Lahouar received $1,160 from the Dana R. and Marilyn Spencer Scholarship
- Hannah Martin received $5,000 from the Jane Ann Wells Scholarship
- Thomas Monaghan received $2,000 from the Jim Gwazdauskas Memorial Scholarship
- Lyra Piche received $1,000 from the Dennis Stauffer Memorial Scholarship
- Deland Washburn received $1,000 from the BHS National Honor Society Scholarship
- Elizabeth Zhang received $2,250 from the June and Joseph Wang Memorial Scholarship
Christiansburg High School (8)
- Cole Abbott received $1,370 from the Warren Lloyd Holtzman Freedom Scholarship
- Kayla Buonpane received $1,000 from the Doris Huff Elliott Business Excellence Scholarship
- Aidan Cabrera received $560 from the A. Phillip Meadows Scholarship
- Brooklynn Manieri received $1,500 from the Living4Bri Scholarship
- Munich Bruschz do Nascimento received $2,500 from the RBN Inc. Appreciation Scholarship
- Bisan Rai received $1,100 from the Marie Mandelstamm Scholarship
- Tristan Sutphin received $1,500 from the Marcus Allen Ford Memorial Scholarship
- Ethan Walker received $1,000 from the Highlands Fund
Eastern Montgomery High School (6)
- Osman Amaya received $1,500 from the Ray E. and Mary B. Epperly Family Fund
- Meghan Kidwell received $1,500 from the Ray E. and Mary B. Epperly Family Fund
- Jada Roiter received $1,850 from the Auxiliary of Radford Community Hospital/CNRVMC
- Mckinzie Starkey received $1,200 from the Wings Scholarship
- Michael ‘Koden’ Wines received $2,000 from the Simón-Flora-Grohs Scholarship
- Olivia Wilbon received $1,000 from the Highlands Fund
Floyd County High School (12)
- Sabrie Blevins received $840 from the Mary Ann King Peters Scholarship
- Karley Bond received $1,300 from the Earl Vest and Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship
- Jordan Fizzano received $1,040 from the Larry Turman Memorial Scholarship
- Jonah Gardner received $1,140 from the Woodrow and Elma Turman Scholarship
- Lissie Goff received $2,000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship
- Addison Hilton received $1,000 from the Citizens Scholarship
- Karoline Johnson received $1,300 from the Earl Vest and Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship
- Leeah Nichols received $2,000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship
- Enzo Nunez received $1,300 from the Earl Vest and Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship
- Winslet Vassar received $2,000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship
- Unika Dawn Stallings received $2,000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship
- Zachary Vest received $1,300 from the Earl Vest and Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship; Zachary is not related to Earl Vest and Mamie Phillips Vest.
Fort Chiswell High School (1)
- Zayne Sayers received the Morrow-Stevens Foundation Scholarship, which supports tuition, room and board, and fees
Galax High School (1)
- Caleb Mitchell received $1,220 from the Plummer Family Scholarship
Giles High School (7)
- Maxwell Currie received $2,000 from the Raymond M. and Edith A. Ingram Scholarship
- Sunnie Davis received $2,000 from the Raymond M. and Edith A. Ingram Scholarship
- Hannah Lester received $2,000 from the Raymond M. and Edith A. Ingram Scholarship
- Russell Pauley received $1,000 from the Highlands Fund
- Kenyon Sandy received $2,000 from the Raymond M. and Edith A. Ingram Scholarship
- Lynnsey Sarver received $800 from the Virginia Whitaker/Eggleston Community Scholarship
- Weston Smith received $1,100 from the Allan Mandelstamm Scholarship
Grayson County High School (1)
- Mackenzie Felock received $1,220 from the Plummer Family Scholarship
Pulaski County High School (1)
- Morgan Vest received $2,000 from the Jo Ann Slate Smith Scholarship
Radford High School (3)
- Reagan Bryant received $2,000 from the Simón-Flora-Grohs Scholarship
- Trent Hollandsworth received $2,000 from the Eric E. Sutphin Memorial Scholarship for Children of NRV Law Enforcement Officers
- Mason Murphy received $1,100 from the Marie Mandelstamm Scholarship
College Students (35) and Veterinary Student (1)
New River Community College (6)
- Carly Johnston, New River Community College, received $2,000 from the Josephine D. Shotts Memorial Scholarship
- Jonah Lawson, New River Community College, received $1,500 from the Blue Collar Scholarship
- Adam Myers, New River Community College, received $1,200 from the Wings Scholarship
- Hannah Pratt,New River Community College, received $1,200 from the Wings Scholarship
- Mya Robertson, New River Community College, received $1,040 from the Domermuth Scholarship
- Tracie Shumate, New River Community College, received $1,500 from the Blue Collar Scholarship
Radford University (6)
- Kylie Douthat, Radford University, received $1,850 from the Auxiliary of Radford Community Hospital/CNRVMC
- Silas Ocampo, Radford University, received $1,000 from the Williamsburg Consort Symphonic Band Scholarship
- Kailin Phillips, Radford University, received $2,000 from the Juanita Shelor Hall Memorial Scholarship
- Kasey Rosenbaum, Radford University, received $600 from the Teel Family Scholarship
- Owen Saunders, Radford University, received $1,370 from the Warren Lloyd Holtzman Freedom Scholarship
- Kaitlyn Steele, Radford University, received $2,000 from the Josephine D. Shotts Memorial Scholarship
Virginia Tech (13)
- Madison Blake, Virginia Tech, received $5,800 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship
- Krista Carlton, Virginia Tech, received $5,800 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship
- Sai Ashraya Chegu, Virginia Tech, received $5,800 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship
- Cora Corcoran, Virginia Tech, received $1,000 from the Highlands Fund
- Austin Elliott, Virginia Tech, received $500 from the Lambda Horizon Scholarship
- Alan Fernandez, Virginia Tech, received $2,000 from the Jo Ann Slate Smith Scholarship
- Grayson Haskins, Virginia Tech, received $4,020 from the Lineweaver Family Scholarship
- Nesreen Kadiri, Virginia Tech, received $2,320 from the Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad Memorial Scholarship
- Hayden Kyle, Virginia Tech, received $1,000 from the VFW Post 5311 Legacy Scholarship
- Lacey Ngo, Virginia Tech, received $5,800 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship
- Nicole Quiram, Virginia Tech, received $5,800 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship
- Alyssa Romera, Virginia Tech, received $1,000 from the Highlands Fund
- Leah Tillman, Virginia Tech, received $5,800 from the Virginia Tech Women’s Club Scholarship
Plus, one student from each of the following schools:
- Emily Edwards, Appalachian State University, received $1,500 from the Laura J. Pynn Scholarship
- Riley Ollis, Blue Ridge Community College, received $1,833 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship
- Sydney Fritz, Brown University, received $1,000 from the Terry Helms Memorial Scholarship
- Addie Saunders, Carson-Newman University, received $1,833 from the Adrienne Marie Rhudy Memorial Scholarship
- Jordan Lucas, George Mason University, received $1,850 from the Auxiliary of Radford Community Hospital/CNRVMC
- Andrew Martin, Roanoke College, received $600 from the Evelyn Rutrough Memorial Scholarship
- Joseph ‘Ford’ Bowman, University of Northwestern Ohio, received $2,000 from the James E. and Kate H. Board Scholarship
- Sydney Hardwicke, Virginia Commonwealth University, received $1,000 from the Highlands Fund
- Lauren Ginefra, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, received $1,000 from the VMCVM Class of 1990 Shelter Veterinarian Scholarship Fund
- Hampton Wohlford, Virginia Military Institute, received $1,000 from the Highlands Fund
- Andrea Leng, Washington University at St. Louis, received $2,000 from the Benjamin Eiss Memorial Scholarship
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2025 scholarship recipients gather at a celebratory luncheon, held this year on May 4th at Smith Creek Farms in Christiansburg. Photo by Wilsie Photography.