MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Twenty of the state’s top-performing high school seniors have been awarded the Neil S. Bucklew Scholarship to attend West Virginia University in the fall.
Two of the 20 are from Keyser High School.
The scholarship, valued at more than $24,400, provides each student with more than $6,100 per year toward educational costs during their four years at WVU.
The scholarship’s creator, Neil S. Bucklew, served as WVU’s 20th president from 1986 to 1995. The Bucklew Scholarships are part of the University’s comprehensive awards program and are supported, in part, by the WVU Foundation.
Among the winners are Sara Willingham of New Creek and Chelsea Willis of Keyser.
The scholarship winners are eligible for WVU’s top academic award, the Foundation Scholarship, which is awarded to the top five Bucklew Scholars and valued at more than $50,000. The finalists will be announced in early May by Gov. Joe Manchin and University officials at a ceremony at the Charleston Capitol Complex.
Sara Willingham, of New Creek, refers to herself as someone who is “innovative and can bring new flair to traditional
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ideas.”
The Keyser High School student, who will soon study business administration at WVU, dreams of someday traveling to China to learn more about international business.
Willingham, who will graduate in the top 3 percent of her class, learned to dream big with the help of one of her high school guidance counselors, Janet Kalbaugh. When Kalbaugh was diagnosed with cancer, Willingham and her classmates dedicated much of their time running fundraisers for Kalbaugh’s family.
“She was a personal role model and someone who pushed me to take challenging courses, study daily and never give up,” Willingham wrote in her scholarship application.
Willingham has been active in leadership, academic and extracurricular activities. She served as class president and class treasurer, participated in 4-H, ran track and played in the school’s marching,
concert and jazz bands. She also worked on the school’s yearbook and newspaper.
Willingham was vice president of the Arts and Culture Enrichment Society and a member of the school’s business, service, health and anti-tobacco clubs, among others. She also attended the state
Governor’s Honor Academy.
She has taken advanced courses in biology, history, government, English and calculus. She has also taken college-level courses in English, psychology and communications.
She is the daughter of Wayne and Susan Willingham.
As editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper, Chelsea Willis, of Keyser, strived to develop a “high-quality product with professionalism and style” - characteristics she plans to apply to her studies as a student at WVU.
Willis will major in accounting and finance at WVU.
At Keyser High School, Willis was active on the varsity soccer and track teams, junior varsity basketball team, student council and Arts and Cultural Enrichment Society.
She has volunteered as a children’s church assistant at Westernport First Assembly of God Church and was an office volunteer at Keyser Presbyterian Church.
The past four summers, Willis also spent much of her time reading to children as an Energy Express volunteer.
“I was able to take part in a program that truly does make a difference in the lives of each and every child who participates,” Willis wrote in her scholarship application. “I never thought I would know how much of an impact I had until one-on-one reading time when the children would fight over who would read with me.”
Willis has also participated in the state Governor’s Honors Academy, Miss Teen of West Virginia program, Mineral County Math Field Day, National Honor Society and a science fair.
She has taken advanced courses in English, history and government, along with several college courses in English, math, psychology and communications.
She is the daughter of Jeannie and Jerry Willis.
The remaining Bucklew scholars from throughout the state are: Caroline Bailey, Saint Marys, Saint Marys High School; Julia Barry, Romney, Hampshire High School; Robert Guy, Wheeling, Wheeling Park High School; Dane Hamilton, Grafton, East Fairmont High School; Sierra Hedrick, Poca, Nitro High School; Nicholas
Horvath, Morgantown, Morgantown High School; Kyle Kimerer, Parkersburg, Parkersburg South High School; Virginia King, Elkins, Elkins High School; William Maiden, Saint Marys, Saint Marys High School; Emily Ngan, Morgantown, Trinity Christian School; Lucas Pennock, Mineral
Wells, Parkersburg South High School; Rebecca Posa, Kearneysville, Jefferson High School; Elizabeth Scott, Lewisburg, Greenbrier East High School; Lindsey Sinclair, Vienna, Parkersburg High School; Sara Swanson, Mount Clare, Bridgeport High School; Amanda Thorp, Weirton, Weir High School; Jonathan Turner, Fairmont, Fairmont Senior High School; and David Webb, Cross Lanes, Nitro High School.
Keyser, W.Va. —
