WAYNESBURG – Ten Greene County high school graduates have been selected as the recipients of the 2019 County of Greene/West Penn Power Scholarship.
The scholarship is awarded annually to eligible graduating seniors who plan to attend Waynesburg University and represents a $1,000 award to be used toward each student’s first year of enrollment. All ten students will begin courses at Waynesburg University this fall.
The scholarship recipients are:
• Haley Berry, Waynesburg Central High School. Berry, the daughter of Janice and Michael Berry of Waynesburg, will study Pre-Law.
• Sarah Brown, Mapletown High School. Brown, the daughter of Joy and Eric Brown of Dilliner, will study Accounting.
• Mackenzie Carpenter, West Greene High School. Carpenter, the daughter of Jessica and Justin Carpenter of Wind Ridge, will study Early Education.
• Casey Desrosiers, Waynesburg Central High School. Desrosiers, the son of Danielle and Michael Desrosiers of Waynesburg, will study Digital Design.
• George E. Eberhart III, Mapletown High School. Eberhart, the son of Virginia and George Eberhart of Dilliner, will study Pre-Law.
• Anna Hilverding, Waynesburg Central High School. Hilverding, the daughter of Marsha and William Hilverding of Spraggs, has not declared a major at this time.
• Britney Pollock, Carmichaels Area High School. Pollock, the daughter of Kimberly and Michael Pollock of Carmichaels, will study English Literature.
• Courtney Ross, West Greene High School. Ross, the daughter of Brandie and Steve Ross of Aleppo, will study Early Education with an emphasis on Special Education.
• Kayla Smith, Mapletown High School. Smith, the daughter of Karen and Erik Smith of Greensboro, will study Criminal Justice/Forensic Science.
• Haleigh Thomas, West Greene High School. Thomas, the daughter of Angie and Heath Thomas of Waynesburg, will study Criminal Justice.
“On behalf of the Greene County Commissioners, we are proud to support this scholarship opportunity for the youth of Greene County,” said Commissioner Blair Zimmerman.
“Congratulations to the scholarship recipients on their dedication throughout their academic careers,” said Commissioner Dave Coder. “The Board of Commissioners wish these ten local students well in their studies at Waynesburg University.”
The recipients met the scholarship’s criteria, which included a cumulative high school GPA of at least 3.0 and acceptance to Waynesburg University entering as a new, non-transfer student for the Fall 2019 semester. Applicants also had to submit a list of honors and activities and responses to two essay questions.
Scholarship applications were sent earlier this year to high schools in the county’s five school districts – Carmichaels Area, Central Greene, Jefferson-Morgan, Southeastern Greene and West Greene.
“At Waynesburg University, we are committed to retaining our reputation for the outstanding value and outcomes we provide to our students,” said Stacey Brodak, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and University Relations. “We are so very grateful to our donors that establish scholarships. These awards change lives, and we look forward to having these students on campus this fall.”
Funding for the scholarship was made available through Allegheny Energy, Inc., as part of an agreement reached with Greene County in 2008 related to the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL) project.
In the agreement, Allegheny Energy subsidiary Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company (TrAILCo) agreed to contribute $750,000 to the county for educational, environmental, public health and community infrastructure projects.
In June 2009, the Greene County Commissioners and officials from Allegheny Energy, Inc. – which in 2011 completed its merger with FirstEnergy Corp. – presented Waynesburg University with $100,000 to start the scholarship, and a second $100,000 gift was presented in 2010.
In 2011, the Commissioners and officials from FirstEnergy made a final donation of $50,000 to the scholarship fund, bringing the total to $250,000 and ensuring the scholarship’s permanent endowment at Waynesburg University.
Formerly known as the County of Greene/Allegheny Energy Scholarship, the 2011 merger necessitated a slight change in the scholarship’s name to include West Penn Power, FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania subsidiary.