BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — High school juniors in West Virginia can now apply for a chance at a full scholarship to West Virginia Wesleyan College, located in Upshur County.
John Waltz, Wesleyan director of admissions, announced the launch of the 2014 MVB Bank West Virginia Scholar Program on Tuesday’s MetroNews “Talkline.” The scholarship program is now in its sixth year.
“They’re certainly judged on a well-rounded group of things,” said Waltz of the scholarship criteria.
“Obviously, we’re looking for some of the best and brightest students in the state, in terms of their academic achievement, but we’ve seen a lot of value for students who are actively involved in athletics, performing arts and, especially, community service and leadership development as well.”
The first prize is a four-year, $125,000 scholarship for undergraduate study at West Virginia Wesleyan that includes tuition, fees, room and board. The winning scholar must enroll in the Fall 2015 semester.
The second prize is a four-year, $5,000 scholarship at West Virginia Wesleyan, while the third prize is a four-year, $2,500 scholarship at West Virginia Wesleyan.
The application deadline is April 5. Applications are being accepted here.
Waltz said it’s important that the juniors applying tell their stories. “We’re most happy to hear about their individual accomplishments, about a goal a student has set for himself or herself to achieve, about an obstacle someone has overcome,” he said. “We hope to hear a lot of really interesting ones (stories) this year.”
Fifteen semi-finalists will be selected and representatives of MetroNews and the sponsors will interview those students before narrowing the list to 12 finalists. MetroNews listeners will vote on the finalists online prior to the selection of the winners.
The winners will be announced during a luncheon at West Virginia Wesleyan in Buckhannon on June 18.
In addition to MVB Bank, West Virginia Wesleyan and MetroNews, the sponsors for the 2014 West Virginia Scholar Program are the West Virginia Forestry Association, the West Virginia Hospital Association and Friends of Coal.