June 2, 2024, Williamsburg, VA – Williamsburg Community Foundation awarded 97 scholarships today to students from area high schools through the Williamsburg-James City County Scholarship Fund. Established in 1974 as the Lafayette Education Fund, this is the 50th year that these community scholarships have been awarded.
These awards are made possible by generous support from local individuals, families, civic groups and businesses. While most of the scholarship donations are raised annually, some scholarships come from endowed funds. The volunteer WJCC Scholarship Committee, chaired by Lisa McDonald Lucas, works throughout the year on fundraising, outreach and selecting student recipients.
With a total of $186,608 in scholarships, 2024 marks the highest amount ever awarded by the scholarship fund, and the largest number of scholarships awarded. The community has shown incredible and increasing support for local students in recent years. In fact, in the last five years alone, the total award amount has doubled in size.
At the Scholarship Award Ceremony, committee member Kim Hundley commended students for their work: “You have shown such incredible tenacity over these past few years. You started high school in the fall of 2020! Even during a pandemic, you worked hard to keep your grades up (sometimes while working a part-time job), to re-connect with each other by building new clubs at your schools and serving your communities through volunteer work, and you excelled on both the athletic fields and on the stage.”
Scholarships range from $1,500 to $5,100 and were awarded for a variety of criteria such as academics, athletics, performing arts, interest in particular career fields or areas of study, and civic and community engagement. Nearly two-thirds of scholarships have some sort of financial need criteria. This year, 12 first-generation college students were awarded scholarships.
Nearly 400 people attended the Scholarship Award Ceremony held at Lafayette High School. The majority of student recipients are from Jamestown, Lafayette, and Warhill High Schools. Two students from Walsingham Academy also received awards this year, as a few scholarships are open to that school. The ceremony was generously sponsored by 1st Advantage Federal Credit Union.
The following students received awards:
| Named Scholarship | First Name | Last Name | High School |
| Frank Davis Memorial Scholarship | Soraida | Acosta | Warhill |
| League of Women Voters of the Williamsburg Area Scholarship | Maesyn | Albert | Jamestown |
| Charles H. Koch, Jr. Memorial Scholarship | Caleb | Ammons | Jamestown |
| Paula Kirtland Memorial Scholarship | Cooper | Bailey | Walsingham |
| Jamestown High School PTSA Scholarship | Claire | Bauer | Jamestown |
| Michael S. Herman Memorial Scholarship | Claire | Bennett | Warhill |
| Lafayette High School PTSA Scholarship | Abigail | Bollinger | Lafayette |
| JBH Scholarship | Clarke | Canova | Lafayette |
| Allison A. Sheppard Memorial Scholarship | Faviana | Carrera Vanegas | Jamestown |
| Goggin/Boykin Family Scholarship | Gloria Esperanza | Castro Winter | Jamestown |
| William J. Lennarz Endowed Science Scholarship | Dmytro | Cherniavskyi | Jamestown |
| Stockmeyer Family Scholarship | Ryan | Chicirda | Lafayette |
| Tom & TJ Cardwell Scholarship in Memory of Jill S. Cardwell & In Honor of Our Grandchildren | Everett | Cimon | Jamestown |
| Lawrence Weintraub, Esq. Memorial Scholarship | Julia | Clark | Jamestown |
| George “Mickey” Brooks Memorial Scholarship | Katherine | Colburn | Jamestown |
| Warhill High School PTSA Scholarship | Sarah | Cook | Warhill |
| Geoffrey H. Boerner Memorial Scholarship | Jadyn | Cook | Warhill |
| Lauren R. Sullivan Memorial Scholarship | Elin | Criddle | Jamestown |
| John O’Hare Memorial Scholarship | Anna Karen | Cummings | Jamestown |
| Shirley B. Brooks Scholarship | El | Curtis-Zilius | Warhill |
| Nick Paszkiewicz (Class of 2008) Memorial Scholarship | Kenneth | Dacier | Warhill |
| AP Calculus Scholarship in Honor of Merle Powell | Allison | Dambrauskas | Jamestown |
| Register-Sharp Citizen Scholar Award | Audrey | Davis | Lafayette |
| George “Mickey” Brooks Memorial Scholarship | Lily | Davis | Jamestown |
| Jean Brown Fisk Memorial Scholarship | Alyssa | Deal | Jamestown |
| Williamsburg Community Foundation Scholars | Joseph | DeLaney | Warhill |
| Community Service Scholarship | Katherine | DeVore | Jamestown |
| Andrea Sartain Memorial Scholarship | Timofey | Dyakov | Warhill |
| Cynthia Willer Frezek Nursing Scholarship | Aleesa | Eason | Jamestown |
| Ray Freed Memorial Scholarship | Sarah | Evans | Jamestown |
| Sutton Family Scholarship | Tylajah | Evans | Warhill |
| Eloise B. Agee Memorial Scholarship | Bailey | Fairheart | Jamestown |
| Joann Bierenbaum Memorial Scholarship | Samuel | Forrester | Jamestown |
| Virnell Ann Bruce Scholarship | Kathryn | Forrester | Jamestown |
| Marjorie C. Joseph Memorial Scholarship | William | Fuller | Jamestown |
| Bette Williams Birthday Club Scholarship | Abigail | Galli | Lafayette |
| Margaret Karene O’Hare Memorial Scholarship | Madison | George | Lafayette |
| Janet Rose Fuchs Memorial Scholarship | Nina | Gokita | Lafayette |
| George “Mickey” Brooks Memorial Scholarship | Abigail | Gray | Warhill |
| Henry S. Branscome, Sr. Memorial Scholarship | Ellen | Gulden | Warhill |
| Performing Arts Scholarship | Lindsay | Hanks | Lafayette |
| Bruce K. and Joan H. Goodwin Memorial Scholarship | Zachary | Hassan | Lafayette |
| Clifford Brian Gillman Memorial Scholarship | Hope | Holland | Jamestown |
| TowneBank Scholarship | Ethan | Hoskins | Warhill |
| Guzman/Glassman Family Scholarship | Jasmine | Jacobo Garcia | Jamestown |
| Larry Dowdy Memorial Scholarship | Elijah | Johnson | Lafayette |
| TowneBank Scholarship | Ann | Jojo | Lafayette |
| Coach Melvin Jones Scholarship | Patricia | Khisa | Warhill |
| Charles H. Koch, Jr. Memorial Scholarship | Alexis | King | Lafayette |
| Janet Rose Fuchs Memorial Scholarship | Niveditha | Kodoth | Lafayette |
| Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Scholarship | Kayla | Lane | Warhill |
| George “Mickey” Brooks Memorial Scholarship | Trenton | Leach | Lafayette |
| Perry Scholarship | Braden | Lee | Lafayette |
| Williamsburg Community Foundation Scholars | Kevin | Lish | Warhill |
| Frank Davis Memorial Scholarship | Chelsea | Lobus | Warhill |
| Jane L. and Robert B. Taylor Scholarship | Kaitlin | Luberus | Jamestown |
| Mike & Amy Watson Workforce Credentials Scholarship | Jesus | Marinero | Jamestown |
| Williamsburg Community Foundation Scholars | Joshua | Markle | Warhill |
| Register-Sharp Citizen Scholar Award | Joshua | Martin | Warhill |
| Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg Scholarship | Raini | Mayo | Jamestown |
| Lennarz Family Scholarship | Bryce | McHose | Walsingham |
| Williamsburg Community Foundation Scholars | Evan | Miller | Warhill |
| Debbie Todd Memorial Scholarship | Eliza | Moore | Lafayette |
| George “Mickey” Brooks Memorial Scholarship | Madison | Mudahy | Lafayette |
| League of Women Voters of the Williamsburg Area Scholarship | Hannah | Neff | Warhill |
| MeghuNamu Scholarship | Caleb | Nevins | Lafayette |
| Williamsburg Community Foundation Scholars | Hayden | Oleksy | Lafayette |
| Shirley B. Brooks Scholarship | Mia | Ortega | Lafayette |
| Ann and James Yankovich Memorial Scholarship | Katelyn | Petersen | Lafayette |
| Shirley B. Brooks Scholarship | Hannah | Peterson | Warhill |
| Shirley B. Brooks Scholarship | Brandon | Portillo Aponte | Lafayette |
| Perry Scholarship | Andrew | Powell | Jamestown |
| Kathleen O’Hare Doster Memorial Scholarship | Quinn | Pritchard | Jamestown |
| League of Women Voters of the Williamsburg Area Scholarship | Emily | Reynolds | Lafayette |
| Chesapeake Bank Scholarship | Seth | Richardson | Warhill |
| Perry Scholarship | Maya | Rubin | Lafayette |
| Fannye Scruggs Rorer, RN Nursing Scholarship | Courtlyn | Ruch | Jamestown |
| Williamsburg Community Foundation Scholars | Campbell | Rudders | Jamestown |
| Perry Scholarship | Andrew | Saunders | Jamestown |
| Swain Scholarship–Basketball-High Scholastic Achievement | Daniel | Schmidt | Jamestown |
| Michael S. Herman Memorial Scholarship | David | Schniepp | Lafayette |
| Legacy Financial Group Scholarship | Michelle | Schroeder | Warhill |
| Shirley B. Brooks Scholarship | Jake | Schumacher | Jamestown |
| Julia Everts & Mark Greenawalt Scholarship | Alexandra | Scott | Warhill |
| Charles H. Koch, Jr. Memorial Scholarship | Gabriel | Scott | Warhill |
| Dan Stimson Memorial Scholarship | Joshua | Sims | Lafayette |
| George “Mickey” Brooks Memorial Scholarship | Joshwa | Skinner | Warhill |
| John Tregilgas Memorial Scholarship | Isaac | Stamper | Jamestown |
| TowneBank Scholarship | Connor | Swanson | Jamestown |
| Mary & Hunt Berryman Scholarship | Aida Grace | Tanglao-Aguas | Jamestown |
| Blanche Koch Brooks Memorial Scholarship | Mia | Thornton | Jamestown |
| Kiwanis Club of Colonial Capital Scholarship | Samuel | Tighe | Jamestown |
| Shirley B. Brooks Scholarship | Amy | Tompkins | Jamestown |
| Williamsburg Community Foundation Scholars | Joseph | Wan | Warhill |
| Trevor Times Memorial Scholarship | Aidan | Williams | Jamestown |
| Swain Scholarship–Engineering | Elizabeth | Wood | Jamestown |
| Friends of Green Spring Scholarship | Sarah | Yatzeck | Jamestown |
Read a full description of each scholarship.
Established in 1999, Williamsburg Community Foundation enhances the quality of life in greater Williamsburg by connecting people who care with causes that matter, managing charitable funds, and providing grants and scholarships for our community’s most pressing needs and promising opportunities. WCF has a vision of a vibrant community with a commitment to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Please contact the Foundation offices for information on scholarships and grants, or how you can get more involved: 757-259-1660, or office@williamsburgcommunityfoundation.org.