(Arrington, VA) - Four Central Virginia high school seniors have each earned $1,000 college scholarships awarded by the Education Scholarship Foundation of the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives. The students were eligible for consideration because their parents are members of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC). The recipients are:
- Emily Eppard of Gordonsville, a student at Louisa County High School and daughter of Craig and Tracy Eppard.
- Alexander Keehan of Appomattox, a homeschool student and son of Chris and Carrie Keehan.
- Natalie Phelps of Concord, a student at Temple Christian School and daughter of Robert and Teresa Phelps.
- Rebecca Taylor of Scottsville, a student at Fluvanna County High School and daughter of Levi and Jessica Taylor.
Scholarship recipients were chosen based on a competitive screening process that considers financial need (40 percent), academic achievement (40 percent) and community involvement (20 percent).
“The cost of college and post-graduation training programs are steadily rising and CVEC recognizes that seniors in our rural communities can benefit from scholarships to help offset those costs,” says Gary Wood, president and CEO of CVEC. “It is such a pleasure to see that four of our high school seniors were selected as recipients.”
Applicants must be a senior graduating from either high school or home school in 2021. They must also provide evidence of their acceptance into a post-high school educational institution or program. These grants can be used to pay for tuition, fees and books.
“We commend these students on their outstanding academic achievements,” said Russell G. “Rusty” Brown, chair of the VMDAEC Education Scholarship Foundation Committee and vice chairman of the board of directors at Northern Neck Electric Cooperative. “Our electric cooperatives are delighted to provide support to these worthy students, as they represent a future generation of leaders in their communities.”
This year, the Foundation awarded 57 Worth Hudson scholarships of $1,000 each to students who live in areas served by electric cooperatives in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The scholarships are named in honor of Hudson, the Foundation’s first chairman. Since 2001, the Foundation has provided over 800 scholarships totaling more than $800,000 to aspiring college students as well as to the next generation of electric lineworkers.
“We’re extremely proud to be able to help these deserving young people from electric cooperative service areas continue their education, whether at a college or university, or in learning a trade,” said Brian Mosier, president and CEO of the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives
The Foundation is supported through tax-deductible donations and bequests from individuals, proceeds from fundraising events and CoBank’s Sharing Success Program. One hundred percent of donations go to students for scholarships. For information on donating to the Foundation, visit vmdaec.com/scholarship.
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Central Virginia Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit, electric utility serving over 38,000 homes, farms and businesses in the rural portions of 14 Virginia counties. CVEC is proud to be a Four-Star Cooperative for Service Excellence certified by the Touchstone Energy Service Excellence Program. CVEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer. For more information, visit preview.shandongyd.net.
Headquartered in Glen Allen, Va., the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives provides safety and training, communications and legislative services to 15 electric cooperatives serving the three-state Mid-Atlantic region. For more information on VMDAEC and the scholarship program, visit www.vmdaec.com or www.co-opliving.com.