Annual Report

ANOTHER RECORD YEAR OF SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS IN 2021

honored to have received one of the scholarships! Thank you so much, CFNRV!” Emi will use the scholarship to attend the University of Virginia to study biomedical sciences. The BHS National Honor Society Legacy Scholarship was established in 2015, and members of the National Honor Society at Blacksburg High School have raised money to endow and grow the fund over time. The scholarship benefits a student with strong academic achievement, a strong track record of leadership and service to the school and/or community, and a strong desire to continue that level of service during college. Katherine Lynde, an English teacher at BHS and National Honor Society Sponsor, sees the relationship with the CFNRV as an important way to support graduating BHS students. “When the Blacksburg High School National Honor Society officers and sponsors decided to create and build an endowed scholarship fund almost a decade ago, we immediately sought the assistance of the CFNRV; we have been so happy that we did. After successfully raising the required balance through various fundraising events, our organization is now proud to say we provide ongoing annual scholarships to graduating Blacksburg High School students, and CFNRV manages the fund for us, solicits scholarship applications, and selects recipients based on our specific criteria. It’s been an absolutely fantastic partnership!” The CFNRV has awarded over $850,000 in scholarships since 2002, with new scholarship funds added each year. For more information about establishing a scholarship fund or applying for a scholarship, visit cfnrv.org/scholarships.

Since 2002, the CFNRV has awarded scholarships to more than 760 New River Valley students pursuing higher education, many of whom have received support throughout their two or four years of college education. 2021 was another record year of scholarship awards with a total of $117,738 given to 78 students. Of these, 21% of recipients are first generation college students and 29% qualify for a Pell Grant. Many recipients will attend Virginia Tech, New River Community College, and Radford University, while others will pursue degrees at colleges such as Brown University, James Madison University, Princeton University, the College of William and Mary, and Johns Hopkins University, among many others. Donors, recipients, and their families were able to celebrate this year at a Scholarship Awards Picnic held at Bissett Park in Radford, the first in-person event held by the CFNRV since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Emi Miyazaki attended the picnic with her family and expressed her gratitude for receiving the BHS National Honor Society Legacy Scholarship, “I’m so grateful that the Community Foundation of the NRV gave me this opportunity to apply for such wonderful scholarships; it was really simple to apply, and I’m Emi Miyazaki received the 2021 BHS National Honor Society Legacy Scholarship to attend the University of Virginia.

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THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE NEW RIVER VALLEY

Photo by Wilsie Photography