As area students leave for college in August, many will have their tuition loads made lighter by scholarships awarded from the Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation (GVCF). This year, 87 outstanding students from the public high schools in Greenbrier, Monroe, and Pocahontas counties were awarded scholarships totaling $125,000.
In Greenbrier County, GVCF administers 16 scholarships including the newly endowed Ann Edwards Memorial Scholarship. Established in 1998 by the First Baptist Church of Fairlea, this scholarship provides assistance to students committed to improve both their spiritual and secular education. Preference is given to students who are members of a church with special consideration to members of the First Baptist Church of Fairlea. Students receiving the award must demonstrate strong academic performance during high school, have financial need, as well as Christian service and Christian character. The 2018 recipients were Amanda Gottshall and Nathan Robinson, both from Greenbrier East High School. They each received awards of $1,500.
Scholarship namesake Ann Edwards was the wife of Alvie Edwards, former Pastor of First Baptist Church of Fairlea. She enjoyed many happy years of employment with the Greenbrier County Board of Education and served as a beloved mentor and inspiration for the youth in the church and community. She is remembered for her warm, winning smile, sprightly laugh, and marvelous sense of humor. Many lives were touched and changed by her loving heart and generous Christian spirit.
Although this award has been in existence for years, the members of First Baptist Church decided to endow the scholarship with GVCF in order to ensure that Ms. Edwards’ legacy of love, respect, and caring for others would continue in perpetuity.
In addition to these granting services, the Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation also provides area schools with an online application form that allows students to apply for nearly every local scholarship, and some statewide scholarships, with the click of one button. Fifty-eight scholarships are currently available to Greenbrier County students through the online system. Last fall, GVCF Executive Director Courtney Smith visited with all of the college-bound seniors at GEHS and GWHS to start them on the application and answer their questions. She plans to do the same this fall.
The Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation is a collection of funds that make distributions to support the charitable needs of our community. It has distributed nearly $8.5 million since it was established in 1999. For more information about GVCF scholarships, and the online application, please visit www.gvfoundation.org or contact Courtney Smith, executive director, at 304-645-5620, info@gvfoundation.org.