Community Foundation Awards $551,650 in 2023 Scholarships

The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to 142 students pursuing higher education. The Community Foundation’s scholarship funds are leaving positive legacies across the region and beyond. More than 50 volunteers reviewed more than 400 scholarship applications for these funds this year. In total, the Community Foundation manages 13 scholarships and administers the funds for 21 others that support Northern Virginia students. These awards range from $1,500 to greater than $6,000.

The event was an enriching and uplifting experience, where current and former scholarship winners shared their experiences, as Community Foundation staff spoke about the process and thanked the volunteers and generous donors who help make it possible. In the words of Jesus Neyra, a previous winner of the Rose Koury Scholarship, “Always remember those who supported you in ways big and small…remember how they helped make your journey possible.”

the full list of awardees, and the scholarships they were awarded:

Alex Thomas Effort Award Endowment Fund Scholarship | ($1,500)
Matthew Schlueter

Amin Family Scholarship | ($5,000)
Mary Afriyie
Anthony Ascone
Mary Cruz
Mohamed El-Hadj Sidi
Sophia Hassen
Amel Mohdali

AMS Opportunity Scholarship Fund | ($2,500)
Raihana Akther
Mouad Tazka

Anna M. Davison Scholarship | ($2,000)
Abigail Colborn

Ashworth Grogan Scholarship | ($5,000)
Frealem Bekele
Keily Castillo
Yajaira Escobar Reyes
Selam Fessha*
Hanan Ibrahim*
Oluwatoni Isaacs*
Danielle Kim
Victoria Kim*
Yosmary Limas
Wael Mbarki*
Tend Ngaleu
Millicent Okoro
Geisha Perez*
Keylin Reyes*
Kevin Salgado*
Gianna Stephens
Anonymous
Kristin Watzon*
Adriana Vidal

Bentley Family Scholarship Fund | ($5,000)
Adam Manley
Lauren Wagner

Booz Allen Hamilton Celebrate Abilities Scholarship | ($2,750)
Andres del Castillo
Anonymous
Jackson Ross
Amoolya Vatambeti

Booz Allen Hamilton Vision Scholarship | ($3,000)
Patrick Barry*
Praneet Boggarapu*
Aarushi Dubey*
Arianna Gehan*
Nathan Hargreaves
Hannah Jones*
Carter Lankford*
Patrick Lathan*
Megan Lawson
Ramcharan Malladi*
Julia Noppenberger*
Britany Peng*
Grace Pluemacher*
Nitha Ramani
Siddhartha Rangavajjula
Jackson Ross
Sachi Sakaniwa*
Karen Song*
Pranay Vure*
Avery Watkins*

Cameron and Virginia Dye Scholarship | ($5,000)
David Cordova

Charles Homer Barton Memorial Scholarship | ($4,000)
Olivia Bruns
Sydney Coderre
Benjamin Ellis
Brendon O’Hara
Susan Pirnat

Christopher Consultants Scholarship Fund | ($5,000+)
Shafin Anika*
Alexander Hazlett
Luis Ramos-Garcia*
Ronald Villatoros*

Dorothy Jean Coates Scholarship | ($1,000)
Karisma Dixon
Kenise Lewis

Elizabeth Koury Scholarship | ($5,000)
Nalin Aggarwal*
Jiyoon Beris
Jenna Freilich*
Riya Maheshwari*
Hayly Nguyen*
Huzaifa Shafique*
Ra’Asia Uddin

Jackson Robert Greene Memorial Athletic Scholarship | ($2,000)
Cameron Elliott
Amanda Green

John Hiller Memorial Advised Fund Scholarship | ($1,700)
Max Kroll

Kathryn Louise Davison Memorial Scholarship | ($2,000)
Joseph Avitabile

Kelly Elizabeth Baker Memorial Scholarship | ($1,500)
Anna Bohli

Leslie Richardson Memorial Swan & Sparrow Scholarship Fund | ($3,000)
Jordyn Packer
Sofia Lynn Smith

Leslie V. Forte Scholarship | ($2,000)
Jannatul Ferdaus

Louise Lightner Jamison Scholarship | ($1,500)
Ava DeWald
Taylor Weaver

Michell Merhige Scholarship | ($1,500)
Akua Durowaa Acheampong
Helen Centeno
Elizabeth Forrest
Anonymous

Miss Aranetta Memorial Scholarship Fund | ($1000)
Rachel Borowsky

Northern VA First Responders Scholarship Fund | ($4,500)
Dinan Elsyad*
Kathryn Homa
Heba Kamal*
Olivia Lippincott*
Tegan Powers*
Jason Nguyen*
Andrew Sager
Margaret Short*
Jacub Sundberg
Michael Zhang*

NVTC Bobbie Kilberg Scholarship | ($5,000)
Sneha Aryal
Amel Mohdali
Lilie Puck-Karam
Sharvani Roy
Sharlette Vijoy

Plein Environmental Scholarship Fund | Amounts Vary
Anh Tue Buie
Leilani Cabrera*
Ahmed Ibrahim*
Anna Labrie

Reston Scholarship Fund | Amounts Vary
Rayhan Budiman
Thomas Joseph “TJ” Fletcher
Luis Hernandez-Recinos
Ahad Khattak
Urooj Khattack
Helen Moreno
Janell Morris
Daniel Ogun
Samira Samadi
Farhan Seyedzadegan
Jennifer Sorto
Rione Marie Tecson

Robert Spencer Smith Scholarship | ($1,250)
Palmer Smith

Rose Koury Scholarship | ($5,000)
Lacey Brinson*
Corbey Galkin
Eliana Glover*
Naim Gmati*
Emileigh Mills*
Charley Piercy*
Jaina Soppet
Lindsey Staub*
Ashleigh Trudell*

Vance International, Inc. Scholarship | ($2,200)
Gurnasib Rataul
Mackenzie Waddel

William J. Foreman Memorial Scholarship Fund | ($2,000)
Akua Acheampong
Farah Al-Naser
Victoria Anane
Helen Centeno
Phuong Anh Quach

Yuthud Oberdick Endowment Fund | ($2,000)
Anonymous

*- Indicates a renewal award