Community Foundation recognizes scholarship recipients
Recipients of the Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) college scholarships were encouraged to get the best education possible and then bring their skills back to the county.
The CFFC awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships to 80 students from all the school districts in the county and Geibel Catholic Junior-Senior High School, and recognized the students at a mixer at the Duck Hollow Golf Club, Thursday.
“Get the best education you can and come back,” said James R. Foutz, chairman of the CFFC board.
“We want you to leave your comfort zone and learn new ideas. Then come back to Fayette County and put them to work,” said Devan G. White of the Fayette Young Professionals, an organization that encourages graduates to look for jobs in the county.
More than 160 students applied for CFFC scholarships. The recipients are attending 30 different colleges and universities, Foutz said.
“We’re pleased to award over $115,000 in scholarships to Fayette County students from 40 different scholarship (funds). This is a $30,000 increase from last year,” Foutz said.
He commended the scholarship donors for recognizing the importance of post secondary education.
The donors included Debbie and Raymond Hull of Uniontown, who established two scholarship funds in honor of their late son Eric Hull, who was killed in Iraq while serving in the Army Reserves in 2003.
Debbie Hull told the students that the education they will receive will be theirs forever.
“Education is something you achieve that no one can take away from you,” she said.
She said her son wasn’t concerned about the grades he achieved in school and wanted to join the Army.
He left for basic training two days after he graduated from Uniontown Area High School in 1998.
After he returned, he enrolled in Westmoreland County Community College and earned an associates degree in the culinary field to pursue his other goal, which was to become a chef.
He also married his high school sweetheart and they had two children, she said.
“In his 23 short years of life, he accomplished more than most people,” she said.
Sgt. Eric Hull was called to active duty following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and was sent to Iraq.
“On Aug. 18, 2003, Eric’s Humvee found an IED” she said.
The Sgt. Eric Hull Advised Scholarships were awarded to Jacob E. Mansberry, Blain J. Schiff and Ryan S. Teets. The Sgt. Eric Hull Memorial Scholarship went to Alex M. Hamborsky.
Tia Schaefer, a four-year recipient of the Jim and Barb Browne Family Fund, said she had no college loans to pay off after she graduated from California University of Pennsylvania with a business degree. She works for Mylan Pharmaceuticals in Morgantown, W.Va.
This year’s recipients of the Browne Family Fund scholarships are Molly K. Barlow, Monica Ellington, Dominic C. Giachetti-Gibson and Brady G. Guthrie.