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100 Black Men of Central Virginia awards 54 college scholarships to area students

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100 Black Men of Central Virginia has awarded college scholarships to 54 high-school seniors from across the Greater Charlottesville region.

Recipients of the $1,000 scholarships earned an overall high school GPA of at least 3.0, participated in 100 Black Men community programs, and will begin college classes in fall 2026.

One $5,000 scholarship in memory of UVA student and 100 Black Men mentor Elijah Witt was also awarded.

100 Black Men of Central Virginia is a nonprofit that offers mentoring, enrichment and college-readiness opportunities in Greater Charlottesville area middle and high schools.

Since 2011, the organization has awarded a total of $433,500 to nearly 400 high school seniors.

“These scholarships are a reflection of the unwavering dedication, hard work, and commitment to academic and personal aspirations of each of these students,” said James Watson, president of 100 Black Men of Central Virginia. “We admire their potential to bring about positive change in our Central Virginia community and beyond.”

Scholarship recipients

Elijah Witt Memorial Scholarship

  • Maxwell Keys, Albemarle High School

Albemarle High School

  • Hermela Aju
  • Jahmel Bivines
  • Braden Knight
  • Sophia Melo-Malnowski
  • Catherine Muriuki
  • Tumpe Mwenechanya
  • Lydia Ohlendorf
  • Sienna Robinson
  • Travis Wicks

Buckingham County High School

  • David Jones
  • Mekyhi Maxey

Charlottesville High School

  • Shayaan Akbarzada
  • Shoukufeh Alizada
  • Berline Bissehssolo
  • Sydney Brown
  • Kano Etienne
  • Sarah Gould
  • Destiny Johnson
  • Amoni Lee
  • Mohammad Massoud
  • Guy Muguma
  • Ghazal Paiwand
  • Grant Patterson
  • Yalda Rahmanyar
  • Maath Saadoon
  • Jayla Turner

Fluvanna County High School

  • Aryann Baskfield
  • Brianna Bates
  • Jordan Lewis
  • Ladaisha Tinsley

Louisa County High School

  • Maya Athey
  • Eric Davis
  • Jahia Pridgen
  • Jayden Thompson
  • Diane Tornel
  • Isabella Williams

Madison County High School

  • Alivia Lewis
  • Sarmarion Turner

Miller School

  • William Lane

Monticello High School

  • Daniel Albarran
  • Adriana Albarran-Villa
  • Brycen Ayers
  • Joshua Daniels
  • Kingston Smith
  • Zayden Yancy

Orange County High School

  • Joseph Colangelo

Western Albemarle High School

  • Madeline Hill
  • Ana Rizoli
  • Lark Steinberg

William Monroe High School

  • Jessica Ayres
  • Adyn Douglas
  • Oluwatimilehin Fashedemi
  • Leeah Toliver

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].