Dahlia
Dahlia
Foundation awards scholarships
Scholarship recipients celebrate at Radford’s Highland Hotel at the CFNRV’s annual scholarship luncheon on May 3.
This spring, the Community Foundation of the New River Valley (CFNRV) awarded $212,098 in scholarships to 106 students either from the New River Valley (NRV) or studying here. This outstanding group of students includes 67 high school seniors, 37 college students, one high school graduate returning to college, and one future veterinarian. 28% of these students are the first in their families to attend college or university. Since awarding its first scholarship in 2002, the CFNRV has given out $1.64 million in scholarships to more than 1,200 students.
This year’s recipients are funded by 56 different endowed scholarship funds set up by families, individuals, and businesses. Each of these funds has a unique purpose and set of criteria for the type of student the donor(s) would like to support. These criteria can include specifying an intended major or career, requiring minimum grade point average, or prioritizing students from specific regions, schools, or economic backgrounds, and much more. Many of these scholarships are renewable, allowing students to re-apply each year to get support throughout their time in school. This year, 25% of the recipients are previous CFNRV scholarship winners.
“We frequently hear from our donors and nonprofit partners that things feel uncertain right now, but our scholarship program reminds me that much remains certain,” said Jessica Wirgau, the CFNRV’s Chief Executive Officer. “The talent and intelligence of our scholarship recipients, the support they receive from friends and family, the incredible generosity of our donors, and the unique character of the New River Valley, all of these remain certain. The future of the NRV is limitless with these scholarship recipients, and we are grateful to be a part of their journey.”
Each year, the size of the scholarships award depends on the value of that specific endowed scholarship fund. Once the scholarship fund reaches a minimum endowment of $15,000, the money in the fund is invested and the earnings generated become that year’s scholarship awards. The goal of each fund is to exist forever, awarding money to students for generations to come.
The CFNRV’s scholarship application opens online each October at cfnrv.org/scholarships. High school seniors, current students, and older adults returning to school are encouraged to apply. Scholarships are available for those attending or planning to attend colleges or universities as well as trade or technical schools. Additionally, one fund gives out an annual scholarship to a student attending the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Those interested in setting up a scholarship fund can reach out to the CFNRV team at cfnrv@cfnrv.org or 540-381-8999.
Eighteen students from Floyd County High School received scholarship funds, including:
Abigail Allen received $2,600 from the James E. & Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund
Nico Anderson received $1,500 from the Larry Turman Scholarship Fund
Bella Bailey received $2,310 from the Amber Lutz Memorial Scholarship Fund
Bennett Barbieri received $1,000 from the Evelyn Rutrough Memorial Scholarship Fund
Seyda Barrett received $1,500 from the Highlands Fund
Emma Biesterveld received $2,600 from the James E. & Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund
Sage Blackwell received $2,600 from the James E. & Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund
Rhys Bowman received $1,750 from the Earl Vest & Mamie Phillips Vest Scholarship Fund
Elise Burke received $2,600 from the James E. & Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund
Larah Clemons received $2,000 from the Simón-Flora-Grohs Scholarship Fund
Bradlee Conner received $2,600 from the James E. & Kate H. Board Scholarship Fund
Elayna Harris received $2,310 from the Amber Lutz Memorial Scholarship Fund
Rubi Haugh Lopez received $2,000 from the RBN, Inc. Appreciation Scholarship Fund
Zachary Jones received $2,000 from the Constance & Horst Moehring Scholarship Fund
Jade Turpin received $1,360 from the Woodrow & Elma Turman Scholarship Fund
Kyra Vaughn received $1,000 from the Citizens Scholarship Fund
Karleigh Wade received $1,060 from the Mary Ann King Peters Memorial Scholarship Fund
Anyri Yuvanavattana received $2,190 from the Auxiliary of Radford Community Hospital/CNRVMC Scholarship Fund
Tobacco Commission meets in Floyd
The Tobacco Commission meets in Floyd.
The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission held its second scheduled meeting of the year on Wednesday, May 13, at Chateau Morrisette in Floyd County. As one of Virginia’s oldest and best know wineries, Chateau Morrisette is a major tourism driver for the region and an important buyer of Virginia-grown grapes.
The Commission awarded funds to support a variety of agriculture, tourism, and business development projects while also providing ongoing support for community colleges across Southern and Southwest Virginia through its Workforce Financial Aid program. In addition to these recipients, a new and notable Commission grant was the $400,000 awarded to the Foundation for the Advancement of Southern and Southwest Virginia (FASS-VA) to cover 3 years of operating expenses.
The Commission has long sought to establish a non-profit, 501c3 foundation with which it could partner to further its goal of assisting Southern and Southwest Virginia communities. Since 2024, the Commission has worked to establish the Foundation for the Advancement of Southern and Southwest Virginia, Inc., or FASS-VA, through a previous award and the assistance of Commission staff. The award approved at this meeting will provide $400,000 to FASS-VA to fund operations during its first three years and support the hiring of a part-time Executive Director.
FASS-VA will help the Commission in a number of important ways, including:
• Securing additional resources for the footprint that the Commission cannot get on its own. Many important funding opportunities require or prefer a non-profit to be the applicant.
• Serving as a resource that the Commission can direct applicants to for assistance in developing their projects when they are not yet ready for TRRC support.
• Applying for grants from the Commission and other funders to take on critical projects identified by the Commission when no other partner is willing or suitable.
• Taking on administrative duties that the Commission’s status as a political subdivision makes difficult or impossible.
"The projects supported by the Commission here in Floyd demonstrate the wide range of ways the Commission can help our communities grow and prosper," said Commission Chairman, Delegate Will Morefield. "I am particularly excited to see the Foundation for the Advancement of Southern and Southwest Virginia get started. We have heard from our communities that capacity is their biggest barrier to success, and that with additional resources they could develop more and better projects, pull down additional federal funds and more. The Foundation will provide that additional capacity and empower our local partners to dream big while serving as a key partner in the Commission's mission to bring economic prosperity to every corner of its footprint."
"I want to thank the Commission for the work they have done over the last 26 years and for their willingness to continue to adapt to meet the needs of our communities," said FASS-VA Chairman Jeff Haley. "The goal of this Foundation is simple: We know that with additional resources and expertise our rural communities can thrive. The Foundation will partner with the Commission to deliver that assistance and work hand-in-hand with our communities to help them design, manage and fund high-impact projects. With this funding from the Commission I look forward to hiring an exceptionally qualified Executive Director as soon as possible and getting to work on behalf of the people of Southern and Southwest Virginia.
New River Community College Educational Foundation Floyd County - Access to Community College Education (ACCE) Program $22,000 Grant All required information, including a list of programs to be supported under each category, was provided. All funds will be used to provide tuition assistance to recent graduates of Floyd County High School (classes of 2026 and 2027). Floyd County is the only TRRC region county included in NRCC’s service region.
