West Virginia MetroNews and West Virginia Wesleyan College has named Christopher Neil of Kenna and Ripley High School as the winner of the tenth annual MetroNews West Virginia Scholar competition during a luncheon held on Wesleyan’s campus.  A rising senior, Neil plans to study biology and was awarded a full, four-year scholarship to West Virginia Wesleyan College to include tuition and fees, along with room and board, beginning in the fall 2018.

 

Madison Martin of Winfield and Winfield High School was named first runner-up and will receive a $5,000 four-year renewable scholarship to Wesleyan.  Second runner-up was River Myers of Fenwick and Richwood High School.  Myers won a $2,500 four-year renewable scholarship to Wesleyan.  Martin plans to study communication while Myers will enter the biology program.

 

Other finalists included Kylee Casto of Given and Ripley High School, Presley Fisher of Ripley and Ripley High School, Chloe Hibbs of Springfield and Hampshire High School, Sydney Maxwell of Buckhannon and Buckhannon-Upshur High School, Madisen Miles of Clarksburg and Robert C. Byrd High School, Uriah Myers of Fenwick and Richwood High School, and Baylee Senator of Chapmanville and Chapmanville High School.

 

Scholarship funds for the West Virginia Scholar Award are provided by the Culpepper Wesleyan Scholars Award and by West Virginia Wesleyan College.  The Culpepper Wesleyan Scholars Award was established in 1991 as an endowed scholarship fund by Olive O’Dell Culpepper ’33 and C. Ross Culpepper ’30, and is continued today by Marvin ’51, Hon. ’06 and Elaine Karnes Culpepper ’54, Hon. ’06.

 

The MetroNews West Virginia Scholar Program is also sponsored by the West Virginia Hospital Association, ZMM Architects and Engineers, the West Virginia Forestry Association, Jim Goolsby and Ed Stike with RBC Wealth Management, the West Virginia Farm Bureau, and Friends of Coal.

 

Founded in 1890, West Virginia Wesleyan is a private residential college located in Buckhannon. The college offers 49 majors and graduate programs in athletic training, business, English creative writing, and nursing. Fourteen Wesleyan students have been selected as U.S. Department of State Fulbright Scholars.

 

Pictured above are Neil, Myers, and Martin