BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — A senior at South Charleston High School in Kanawha County is the grand prize winner of the 2016 MetroNews West Virginia Scholar Program.
During a Wednesday luncheon in Buckhannon, Madison Robinson from Dunbar won a full, four-year scholarship to West Virginia Wesleyan that comes with tuition, fees, room and board at the Upshur County college beginning with the Fall 2017 semester.
It’s valued at $125,000.
“I just started bawling. I was, like, ‘Oh my gosh! Did they really call my name? Am I hallucinating?’ I just walked up there. I started crying. It was crazy,” Robinson told MetroNews soon after hearing her name announced.
A sunburned Robinson, who left a camping trip at Summersville Lake to attend Wednesday’s event, plans to study either biology or be a pre-med student at Wesleyan. Eventually, she would like to work as a physician’s assistant or a doctor.
“I really like helping people, helping people that really can’t help themselves and helping people that just need my help,” she said. “I’m really a hands-on person. I love all ages. I love adults. I love kids. I love teaching.”
Whatever she does careerwise, Robinson said she hopes it does not take her away from the Mountain State.
“I want to stay here as long as physically possible. I love West Virginia,” she said during an appearance on Wednesday’s MetroNews “Talkline” with several other finalists.
Robinson is a member of Roxalana Gospel Tabernacle Church which she said is a big part of her life. Some fellow church members encouraged her to apply for the MetroNews West Virginia Scholar Program.
“It’s a huge burden lifted off my shoulders,” she said of the guaranteed college money. “I was so worried about taking out student loans and (maybe) not being able to go to medical school because of how expensive it was. It’s great that I don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
In all, ten finalists were selected during an application process that included a public voting period at wvmetronews.com.
Finalist Amber Sturgill from Beaver, a student at Shady Spring High School, would like to be working as a pediatrician in West Virginia one day. “I’m really close to my family, so I think it would be really hard to be any farther than just, like, in state, in the same area,” she said.
Gavin Surbaugh from Webster Springs, the 1st runner-up and a student at Webster County High School, plans to major in international studies and potentially pursue a journalism or law career.
“I would like to stay in West Virginia, however I also want to travel,” he said. “But, at the end of the day, I want to come back home.”
Surbaugh’s prize is a four-year, $5,000 scholarship to West Virginia Wesleyan.
The 2nd runner-up was Taylor Walroth who attends Hurricane High School. Her prize is a four-year, $2,500 scholarship to West Virginia Wesleyan.
:The other finalists were the following:
– Erin Burks Ravenswood High School
– Jayson Chappell Oak Glen High School
– Zachary Halterman Keyser High School
– Thomas Hughart Nicholas County High School
– Bailey Mcinturff Woodrow Wilson High School
– Chase Webb Roane County High School
In addition to MetroNews and West Virginia Wesleyan, the sponsors for the 2016 MetroNews West Virginia Scholar Program are the West Virginia Hospital Association, the Home Builders Association of West Virginia, the High Technology Foundation, ZMM Architects and Engineers, the West Virginia Forestry Association and Friends of Coal.