Since 1975, the Polk County Community Foundation has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for all in our community. Assets managed by the Community Foundation now exceed well over $55 million. The Foundation receives charitable donations of all sizes from community members and then distributes grants to local nonprofits and educators, as well as scholarships to students.

Many donors to the Foundation have chosen to establish scholarship funds to help make local students’ college dreams come true. The Community Foundation is privileged to award the following scholarships to graduating high school seniors and adults going back to school according to the wishes of our generous donors:

A Leg Up Scholarship, Jack H. Albertson Educational Award, John A. Albertson Educational Award, Margery W. Bain-Franklin Scholarship, Susan P. Barbour Scholarship, Polly C. and Carroll G. Bennett Scholarship, Allan C. & Anne B. Boas Scholarship, Bradley Achievement Award, Bradley Puddin’ Hill Award, Bradley Village Support Award, G. Freeman and Elizabeth M. Brooks Scholarship, Sara & Henry Burrus Scholarship, J. Harwood Cochrane Educational Award, John Lewis Craddock Educational Award, Gordon L. Foote Educational Award, Stuart and Margaret L. Forbes Scholarship, Annette W. Hysham Scholarship, Phil J. Hysham Scholarship, Kirby Endowment Fund Back-to-School Scholarship for Adults, Kirby Endowment Scholarship for First Year Students, John G. Landrum, Jr. Educational Award, Mary Evelyn & Harry Laurent Scholarship, Bert & Harriet Marsh Scholarship, James A. & Renée R. McDermott Scholarship, Hoyt D. & Tyler B. McEntir Scholarship, Nathaniel M. & Constance J. McIntyre Memorial Scholarship, Jessica Lauren Mills Memorial Scholarship, N. Elizabeth Nash Scholarship, Arthur M. Nelson Scholarship, William F. & Claire B. Nelson Scholarship, R. Shaw Pettigrew Scholarship, Pettit Scholarship, Edward E. & Suzanne K. Plumly Scholarship, Polk County Community Foundation Annual Scholarship, Polk County Community Foundation Endowed Scholarship, Polk County Community Foundation Merit Award, Lelia G. Rainey Nursing Scholarship, The Restart Scholarship, Priscilla and Ellis D. Slater Merit Scholarship Award, Dudley Smith Educational Award, David P. & Barbara Stayman Educational Award, G. Mildred Steinbach and John F. Steinbach Scholarship, Tryon Riding & Hunt Club Scholarship, Guilford S. Turner, Jr. Educational Award, Joseph Anthony & Adair McIntyre Wagner Scholarship, Tony Wallace Scholarship, Jane Hysham Willis Scholarship, N.W. Willis Scholarship, Frances O. & John W. Wilson Restart Scholarship, Robert & Nancy Worsnop Scholarship.

In 2017, donors establishing these scholarships made possible more than $210,000 in awards given to 72 Polk County and Landrum graduating high school seniors and adults going back to school. All Foundation awards are a minimum of $1,000 and the maximum scholarship in 2017 is a renewable award worth $16,000. The Community Foundation is honored to help fulfill these donors’ wishes and would like to congratulate the entire class of 2017 and the following recipients of this year’s awards:

Aaron Adams, Isaias Akers, Rhian Alley, Arieana Alt, Cortney Ashley, Emery Bailey, Alex Bosket, Virginia Bowyer, Carl Campbell, Ashton Capozzi, Cameron Capozzi, Gabriela Chavez, Selena Chavez, Shannon Collins, Julia Cowles, Bryan Dadson, Lillian Dixon, Justine Eberhart, Jasmine Edwards, Georgia Garrett, Elianna Gil, India Godlock, Jennifer Griffin, Britain Hamrick, Alexander Harrelson, Jordan Heston, Dylan Hunt, Savannah Jackson, Zane Johnson, Faith Karabelski, Hunter Kilgore, Samuel Kornmayer, Gabriel Lail, Christopher Lawrence, James Levi, Troy Lieberman, Addie Lynch, Summer Mann, Dakota Merrill, Hunter Metcalf, Maia Milburn, Amber Miller, Otis “Malik” Miller, Logan Morlino, Micheala Nelon, Kimberly Nelson, Hannah Netschytailo, Michael “Gabe” O’Brien, Sarah Perrin, Brett Phipps, Erica Ramirez-Gonzalez, Samuel Rhinehart, Sheila Rodriguez, Malena Roman, Jessie “Dakota” Ruff, Ashley Scruggs, Alana Seay, Harrison Sloan, Mickayla Smith, Quincy Snyder, Erica Sullivan, Alivia Swayze, Victoria Swink, Danielle Tinsley, Jennifer Trejo, Alicia Twitty, Key’la Twitty, Emily Walker, Kiana Waters, Landon White, Cassandra Williams, and Sarah Woods. For more information about scholarships, grants or charitable giving options, please contact the Polk County Community Foundation by visiting 255 South Trade Street in Tryon, calling 828-859-5314, or visiting www.polkccf.org.

– Submitted by Noah Wood