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Tidewater Builders Association
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2010
Contact: Mary Hearing
Mary Prier
(757) 305-9064
 
Foundation Awards more than $60,000 in Scholarships
Twelve high school students were awarded scholarships from Tidewater Builders Association's Scholarship Foundation on Wednesday, June 2, at Norfolk's Town Point Club. They are, from left to right, front row: Chairman of the TBA Scholarship Foundation Michael Newsome, Mechelle Hankerson, Tyler Kalagyan, Kapria Lee, Rebecca Jean Warren, Christopher Waddell, Moss Edwin Clark and TBA President Bill Halprin. Back row, left to right, are: Cameron Yost, Logan Smith, Brent Nichols, Cory O'Donnell, Chelsea Butler and Mariah Reinhardt.

Twelve local high school students, along with two schools, were awarded a total of $62,250 in scholarship funds from the Tidewater Builders Association Scholarship Foundation at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, June 2, at Town Point Club in Norfolk.

TBA's scholarship program is two-pronged. Seven academic scholarships were awarded based on academic excellence, community service and financial need; meanwhile another five students, plus to two high schools, were awarded for their Young Designers' Scholarship Competition entries.

The following academic scholarship recipients each received a $7,500 four-year scholarship:

  • Mariah Reinhardt, a senior at Norview High School, Norfolk, recipient of the John Aragona Scholarship, plans to attend Old Dominion University to study physical therapy.
  • Mechelle Hankerson, a senior at Princess Anne High School, Virginia Beach, won the William J. Hearring Memorial Scholarship and plans to major in journalism at Virginia Commonwealth University.
  • Rebecca Jean Warren, a senior at Lakeland High School, Suffolk, received the Howard M. & Nanyce C. Weisberg Scholarship. Warren plans on attending Virginia Tech to pursue her dream of becoming an architect.
  • Moss Edwin Clark of Cox High School, Virginia Beach, recipient of the Lee Gifford Scholarship, plans to study biology at James Madison University. He hopes to focus on pre-medicine and become a surgeon.
  • Christopher Waddell, a senior at Cox High School, Virginia Beach, won the Sherman & Nancy Reece Scholarship and plans to embark on a course of study in environmental policy and planning at Virginia Tech.
  • Kapria Lee of Oscar Smith High School, Chesapeake, plans to attend the University of Maryland and major in biology to pursue a career in physical therapy.
  • Chelsea Butler of Kempsville High School, Virginia Beach, plans to study chemical engineering at Virginia Tech.

A 10-member selection committee spent weeks reviewing the 203 applications submitted to the TBA Scholarship Foundation.

A talent for design
In a competition befitting a builders association, 62 students submitted computer-aided designs for houses in the 2010 Young Designers' Scholarship Competition, which is a competition for high school students interested in drafting, architecture or home building. A selection committee of four industry professionals selected the winners. A $2,000 first-place scholarship, $1,500 second-place scholarship and $1,000 third-place scholarship was awarded in each category. First honorable mention received $750 and second honorable mention received $500.
The competition's four judges were local architect and building professionals. The awardees are:

  • Corey O'Donnell of Grassfield High School, Chesapeake, won the first-place award
  • Tyler Kalagayan of Ocean Lakes High School, Virginia Beach, won the second-place award
  • Logan Smith of Western Branch High School, Chesapeake, won the third-place award
  • Cameron Yost of Western Branch High School, Chesapeake, won the first honorable mention
  • Brent Nichols of Ocean Lakes High School, Virginia Beach, won the second honorable mention

A $3,000 grant went to Ocean Lakes High School, Virginia Beach, for having the most entries meeting the criteria, and Western Branch High School, Chesapeake, won the $1,000 second-place grant for the second-most entries. The grants, which can be used to purchase equipment or supplies for the winning school's drafting/design program, are meant to increase interest in the design competition.

A tradition of giving
A check for $12,000 was also presented by The Breeden Co. to the TBA Scholarship Foundation. The $12,000 will go toward the Tidewater Multifamily Housing Council (TMHC) Scholarship Apartment and the endowment of an annual TMHC scholarship.

The Breeden Co.'s CEO Kent Little, Chief Operating Officer Tim Faulkner and Vice President of Corporate Marketing Alanna Doczi Deal presented the check to TBA president Bill Halprin and chairman of the TBA Scholarship Foundation Michael Newsome.

Also in attendance were: Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim; the Honorable Barclay Winn, Norfolk City Council; Dr. Linda McCluney, Norfolk School Board; George "Billy" Cook, Norfolk School Board; Regina Williams, Norfolk City manager; Dr. James Merrill, superintendent of Virginia Beach Schools; Dr. Stephen Jones, superintendent of Norfolk Schools; Dr. David Stuckwisch, superintendent of Portsmouth Schools; Dr. Sheila

Magula, deputy superintendent of Virginia Beach Schools; Dr. Patricia Powers, assistant superintendent of Chesapeake Schools. Newsome and Halprin presented the awards.

Since 1965, 407 students have benefited from the more than $1.53 million from the TBA Scholarship Foundation. TBA will continue to provide scholarship funding during the 2010-2011 academic year to 30 other past recipients.

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