Thirteen local high school students, along with two schools, were awarded a total of $69,750 in scholarship funds from the Tidewater Builders Association Scholarship Foundation at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, June 1, at Greenbrier County Club in Chesapeake.

TBA’s scholarship program is two-pronged. Eight 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:

• Kayla Blansett, a senior at Norview High School, Norfolk, received the Howard M. & Nancye C. Weisberg Scholarship. Warren plans on attending Old Dominion University and major in Asian studies.
• Ashley Bradshaw of Grassfield High School, Chesapeake, plans to attend James Madison University to study early childhood education.
• Wenyi Chen of Ocean Lakes High School, Virginia Beach, plans to attend George Mason University in the fall.
• Colin Miller, a senior at Grassfield High School, Chesapeake, won the William J. Hearring Memorial Scholarship and plans to enter in the honors program at the University of Washington and major in computer science.
• Cindy Ngo of Bayside High School, Virginia Beach, recipient of the Lee Gifford Scholarship, plans to study biology at Christopher Newport University.
• Maxwell O’Brien, a senior at Salem High School, Virginia Beach, won the Sherman & Nancy Reece Scholarship and plans to study civil engineering at Old Dominion University.
• Jenna Pham of Tallwood High School, Virginia Beach, hopes to become a pharmacist. She will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall.
• Morgan Wall, a senior at Cox High School, Virginia Beach, the recipient of the Stanley Warranch Scholarship, plans to study mathematics at the University of Virginia.

A six-member selection committee spent weeks reviewing the 197 applications submitted to the TBA Scholarship Foundation.

A talent for design

In a competition befitting a builders association, 40 students submitted computer-aided designs for houses in the 2011 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:

• Nicholas Demartino of Kempsville High School, Virginia Beach, won the first-place award
• Kevin Vidrine of First Colonial High School, Virginia Beach, won the second-place award
• Tyler Kalagayan of Ocean Lakes High School, Virginia Beach, won the third-place award
• Richard Zado III of Ocean Lakes High School, Virginia Beach, won the first honorable mention
• Anthony Medina 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 Hickory 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

Continuing to assure a tradition of giving will continue, this Fall Homearama’s Charity House is being built to benefit The TBA Scholarship Foundation. Michael Newsome, chairman of the Scholarship Foundation, and his company, Clark-Whitehill, will be building the house in honor of former scholarship recipient Justin Kauflin. Kauflin, a jazz pianist who has played at the Kennedy Center and released his own CD, and other recipients will be a part of this effort.

Also in attendance were: Chesapeake Mayor Alan Krasnoff; retired judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia and director of the Beazley Foundation the Honorable Richard Bray; Chesapeake City Councilman Scott Matheson; Chesapeake School Board member Brenda Johnson; Chesapeake City Councilmen Scott Matheson, Dr. Rick West and Councilwoman Dr. Ella Ward; Portsmouth Schools Superintendent Dr. David Stuckwisch; Suffolk Superintendent Dr. Daren Whitney; Chesapeake Superintendent Dr. James Roberts; Virginia Beach schools Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sheila Magula; Chesapeake schools Assistant Superintendent Dr. Patricia Powers. Mayor Krasnoff presented the awards.

Since 1965, 424 students have benefited from the more than $1.66 million from the TBA Scholarship Foundation. TBA will continue to provide scholarship funding during the 2011-12 academic year to 30 other past recipients.