By AMY ADAMS
For The Reporter
Westfield Education Foundation (WEF) CEO Ashely Knott and Board President Kyle Messmore presented a total of $77,850 in scholarships at the Westfield High School Senior Awards and Recognition ceremony on Thursday evening, May 25.
In keeping with the goal to provide exceptional educational opportunities for Westfield, WEF gave out 26 awards and scholarships to 49 deserving seniors, plus one previous graduate.
“We were thrilled to have a record-breaking year,” Knott said. “This is more than we have ever been able to offer before.”
Funded through generous contributions from community partners, WEF scholarships recognize graduates for their efforts and provide them with opportunities to pursue further education. Scholarship recipients are selected based on high academic achievement, leadership, community service, financial need, and demonstration of the five guiding principles of Westfield Washington Schools: respect, responsibility, honesty, compassion, and hard work.
This year, the Xavier John McDonald Memorial Scholarship was given for the first time in honor of the sixth grader from Westfield Intermediate School who loved band and had a contagious laugh.
Established just last year, the Kim Simons Future Educator Scholarship, in honor of the instructional assistant at Oak Trace Elementary, was given to students who hope to carry on Simons’ light by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in education.
Also in 2022, Craig Westover, founder of WestMed in Carmel, created the Sharon Hoffman Memorial Scholarship which was awarded to a student who plans to pursue a profession in healthcare.
In addition to these more newly established awards, some scholarships are funded by long-standing donors and legacies, such as the Larry and Jean Staley Family Horizon Scholarship which was first awarded in 2010.
The Zipparo Family B.E.C.I.S. Scholarship, which was first awarded in 2016, went to a student who will be attending a four-year institution to study business, engineering, or computer information science.
Also in 2016, former long-time WWS superintendent and WEF board member Dr. Mark Keen established the Linda and Mark Keen Scholarship to be awarded to the child of a full-time WWS employee.
As an additional surprise, the WEF board collaborated with the WHS PTO to send out a “secret patrol” during the award ceremony so that when recipients arrived home they were greeted with signs of congratulations.
“Westfield Education Foundation is working alongside community partners, families, legacies, and donors to ensure that all Westfield students have scholarship opportunities to support the pathways they choose,” Knott said.
In the rapidly growing WWS district, new scholarships are needed. If you would like to find out more about providing pathways for students interested in your passion or profession or as a way to honor a family member or create a family legacy, contact Ashley Knott at knotta@wws.k12.in.us.
To learn more about the Westfield Education Foundation, the scholarships and grants provided, and how you can help, visit wwswef.org.
Graphic provided by Westfield Education Foundation