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Richmond scholarship winners lauded

The 2018 Richmond Community Foundation (RCF) scholarship winners have been awarded, with 47 students receiving a total of $27,650.
scholarships
The 2018 recipients of the Richmond Community Foundation scholarship. Photo submitted

The 2018 Richmond Community Foundation (RCF) scholarship winners have been awarded, with 47 students receiving a total of $27,650.

The Phyllis Taylor Scholarship, the foundation’s largest, was awarded in full for the first time this year, with Rose Morgan, Hailey Fowler, and Mallory James each receiving $5,000, so they can further their education in the musical and performing arts.

Taylor, a first-class pianist and long-time Richmond music teacher who passed away in 2004, established the scholarship in her will, to provide financial assistance to local performing arts students.

“I am so honoured to be one of the recipients chosen to carry on Phyllis Taylor’s legacy,” said Fowler.

“I will be going into my final year in my theatre studies at UVIC this fall, while continuing to volunteer in the front of house area at local theatres, and am excited to take on the acting industry full time in spring 2019.”

The foundation also announced six winners of its Ethel Tibbits Scholarship, which is awarded annually to Richmond women seeking to upgrade their education or job skills, so they can better support their families.

Among the recipients were two students from the Colts Young Parent Program, and four mature students entering the Richmond Education Assistant Program, offered through the school district’s Continuing Education Division.

Initially, only one $750 scholarship was available, but foundation supporters responded enthusiastically to a last-minute call for donations, contributing an additional $3,000 to the scholarship fund.

“With so many deserving applicants and several who might not be able to carry out their education plan without an Ethel, we knew we needed to do something,” said Julie Halfnights, chair of the foundation’s Scholarships Committee.

“We’re humbled and so appreciative of those who responded to our call.”

Finally, the foundation awarded 47 scholarships to Richmond high school students, worth a combined $27,650.

Again, diversity was the overarching theme, with scholarships supporting students enrolled in the social sciences, fine arts, vocational studies, and a range of other fields.

Among the winners was Jayden Jordan, a student athlete who received the first ever Walter Wu Scholarship, named after the local Paralympic swimmer.

For more information on the Community Foundation’s scholarships, including how to apply and how to donate to a scholarship fund, visit RichmondFoundation.org.

Established in 1990, the RCF is a volunteer-led not-for-profit that holds assets of nearly $5 million, from which it distributes grants to community agencies and scholarships to local students.