Scholarships Awarded
Suffolk Education Foundation Awards
$20,500 in Scholarships
The Suffolk Education Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2020 college scholarships. This year, the Foundation awarded $20,500 to help 14 local high school graduates continue their education, including a new endowed scholarship: The Milton R. Liverman Memorial Scholarship. Since 1993, the Foundation has committed close to $400,000 in college scholarships for local high school students.
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MILTON R. LIVERMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP – Mrs. Shirley Liverman established this $1,500 scholarship to honor her husband, Dr. Liverman. Dr. Liverman served Suffolk Public Schools for 36 years including 10 years as its Superintendent. Dr. Liverman was committed to helping young people make a difference in their community and achieve their potential.
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This year’s recipient is Wayne Cochran of Nansemond River High School, who will be attending Norfolk State University to prepare for a medical career.
E. TALMADGE DARDEN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - The family and friends of Darden established this $1,500 scholarship in memory of this former King’s Fork Middle School principal to help students who had attended King’s Fork Middle School and who were planning to major in music, culinary arts, or education.
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This year’s recipient is Christian Edwards from King’s Fork High School, who will be attending George Mason University to prepare for a career in art therapy.
ELLIS E. TEMPLE, SR. MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - The Temple family established this scholarship in 2009 to help a college-bound student athlete and school leader at Lakeland High School. This $1,000 scholarship was first awarded in 2013. Ellis Temple was president of the city-wide Suffolk PTA Council.
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This year’s recipient is Keon Wiggins-Saunders from Lakeland High, who will be attending Howard University to study business administration.
DOUG DOHEY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP – The Dohey family established a $1,500 scholarship to honor the former Assistant Superintendent’s dedication to Suffolk Public Schools and his love of wrestling.
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This year’s recipient is Christopher Lawrence from Nansemond River High School, who will be attending Virginia State University to study business.
CROSS FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP - The Cross family established this $1,500 scholarship to honor their parents, Harry Lee and Jean Ritchie. Mr. Cross served on the Suffolk School Board and was a successful realtor.
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The King’s Fork High School recipient is Rachel Yang, who will be attending George Mason University to study neuroscience to become a surgeon.
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The Nansemond River High School recipient is Kayla Lauver, who will be attending James Madison University to prepare for a career as a nurse practitioner.
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The Lakeland High School recipient is Destiney Coles, who will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University to prepare for a dentistry career.
HELEN AND NED FERGUSON ENDOWMENT SCHOLARSHIP - The Ferguson family established this $1,500 scholarship to honor their parents, Ned and Helen. Bothe were extremely active in the Suffolk community and Mr. Ferguson was a local attorney.
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The King’s Fork High School recipient is Victoria Heerah, who will be attending Florida State University to study chemical engineering.
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The Nansemond River High School recipient is Reston Palmeira, who will be attending Auburn University to study engineering.
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The Lakeland High School recipient is Austin Bradshaw, who will be attending Virginia Tech to study accounting.
FUTURE EDUCATOR SCHOLARSHIP – The Wilbur Wilson future educator scholarship awards $1,500 to graduating seniors who plan a career as an educator.
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The Lakeland High School recipient is Sarah Bazemore, who will be attending the University of Mary Washington to prepare for a career in special education.
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Due to a lack of applicants planning education careers, there are no recipients from King’s Fork or Nansemond River.
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G. BLAIR HARRY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - The Harry family established this $1,500 scholarship to honor their father, who was a well- known Suffolk lawyer and judge who passed away in 2005. This scholarship is earmarked for college-bound student athletes.
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Morgan Magrisi, a leader in swimming, soccer and volleyball at Nansemond River High School, will be studying mechanical engineering at Virginia Military Institute.
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De’Ryan Artis, who ran track & field at Lakeland High School, will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University to study criminal justice and political science.
GERTRUDE B. PRUDEN FAMILY ARTS SCHOLARSHIP - The Pruden family established this $1,500 scholarship in memory of this local teacher who loved music, art, and drama.
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This year’s recipient is Reicse Owen from King’s Fork High School. She will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University to study theater.
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Awards are made following an application process and reviewed by a committee appointed by the Suffolk Education Foundation’s board of directors. Selection criteria include academic achievement, community/school service, and future education and career goals.
If you want to learn more about establishing a memorial scholarship with an endowment, please email or call our administrator, Bethanne Bradshaw, at the Suffolk Education Foundation at suffolkef.contact@gmail.com or (757) 237-3249.
If you are interested in making a difference in the lives of Suffolk Public School students, you can make a contribution to the Suffolk Education Foundation online at www.suffolkeducationfoundation.org or by mailing your tax-deductible donation to P.O. Box 394, Suffolk VA 23439-0394. Donations are accepted in honor or memory of individuals or in direct support of other initiatives like the Teacher Supply Store, classroom grants, and of course, scholarships.
The Suffolk Education Foundation (SEF) was founded in 1993 and received its IRS 501(c)(3) status in the same year. Since that time, the board has worked hard by developing a variety of fundraisers to raise additional donations and to ensure that students and staff of Suffolk Public Schools receive scholarships and classroom grants on an annual basis. The Suffolk Education Foundation has returned nearly $1 million dollars to Suffolk Public Schools.
The mission of the Suffolk Education Foundation is to support Suffolk Public Schools by connecting the community’s talents and resources to expand educational opportunities for students and staff. By supporting Suffolk Public Schools, the Foundation is ensuring that the Suffolk community will have talented leaders and citizens long into the future.