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2018 VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program winners announced

virginia bankers associationThe Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation has announced the winners of the 2018 VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program.  After spending a day shadowing at one of the 35 banks that participated across the Commonwealth, students were asked to write an essay about their experience for the opportunity to win a college scholarship. The following students had the winning regional essays and will receive $2,500:

  • Capitol Regional Winner: Lucy Tignor, Banner Christian School, Village Bank
  • Central/Southside Regional Winner: Clara Keeley, Lord Botetourt High School, The Bank of Fincastle
  • Eastern Virginia Regional Winner: Mackenzie Burckbuchler, St. Margaret’s School, Sonabank
  • Northern Virginia Regional Winner: Timothy Ruff, Fauquier High School, The Fauquier Bank
  • Southwest Virginia Regional Winner: Sydney Needham, Union High School, New Peoples Bank
  • Valley Regional Winner: Ivy Warnell, Strasburg High School, First Bank, Virginia

The six regional winners will now be entered into the statewide essay contest. The winner of the statewide contest will receive an additional $5,000, and receive $7,500 total for their college education.

An additional six, $1,000 honorable mention scholarships will be awarded, one in each of the regions. The following students were chosen as the honorable mention winners:

  • Capitol Honorable Mention Winner: Sarah Dowless, Appomattox Regional Governors School, The Bank of Southside Virginia
  • Central/Southside Honorable Mention Winner: Timothy McConville, Appomattox County High School, The Farmers Bank of Appomattox
  • Eastern Virginia Honorable Mention Winner: Denzel Mitchell, Northumberland High School, Virginia Commonwealth Bank
  • Northern Virginia Honorable Mention Winner: Harrison McBride, Bishop O’Connell High School, EagleBank
  • Southwest Virginia Honorable Mention Winner: Taylor Sharpe, Grayson County High School, The Bank of Marion
  • Valley Honorable Mention Winner: Ryan Weaver, Broadway High School, F&M Bank

“The twelve students who won scholarships through this program were chosen from the 452 students that participated in total,” said VBA President and CEO Bruce Whitehurst. “Their essays proved that their experience on Bank Day helped them to gain an understanding of how banking works and how important it is to be equipped with effective money management skills. We are proud of their achievements and wish them luck as they begin their college careers.”

VBA Bank Day is a statewide effort sponsored by the VBA Education Foundation and the VBA Emerging Bank Leaders. Bank Day began when the third Tuesday in March was declared Bank Day by the Virginia General Assembly in 1991. The purpose of the day is to expose students to the banking industry and provide an opportunity for the students to learn about banking, financial services and the vital role banks play in their communities.

“I believe the learning experience went well beyond the students this year,” said Brandy Rothgeb, a banker who hosted students at Blue Ridge Bank. “Being involved in Bank Day has left an incredible impact on me, not only as a banker, but as an individual as well. Bank Day provided me with an extremely fulfilling role to have the chance to educate and encourage our youth about the values not only of community banks, but the values of honorable citizens. My hope is that they are now better prepared for their financial future than before they attended Bank Day. My even greater hope is that I encouraged some of them to consider a career in banking. It was encouraging to see what bright futures they have ahead of them.”

Visit www.vabankers.org to learn more about the VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program and other efforts to promote economic and financial education for Virginia’s students. To see pictures of the event and all the work that bankers do in their communities, please click here.

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