Dominion Virginia Power Memorial Scholarship Recipients

2017 Dominion Virginia Power Scholarship Recipients

DOMINION FOUNDATION AWARDS SIX STUDENTS SCHOLARSHIPS AS PART OF DOMINION MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. (AUGFP) The Augusta (VA) Free Press (9/5, 280) reports the Dominion Foundation has awarded six students $5,000 each for the upcoming academic year as part of the Dominion Memorial Scholarship program, which was established in memory of three Virginia Tech students with close ties to Dominion who were killed in the April 16, 2007 Virginia Tech shootings. The scholarships are available to the children of Dominion employees and retirees, and are renewable for up to three years. Dominion Foundation President Hunter Applewhite said, “These six students were selected based on their community service, leadership, and academic performance.”

DOMINION MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED TO MIRA JAIN. (NNDP) TheNewport News (VA) Daily Press (9/7, Subscription Publication, 182K) reports Mira Jignesh Jain has been awarded one of the Nicole Regina White Memorial scholarships through the Dominion Memorial Scholarships Program, which was “established in the memory of Matthew Gregory Gwaltney, Rachael Elizabeth Hill and Nicole Regina White, three students with close ties to Dominion who were slain in the April 16, 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech.” Jain will receive up to $5,000 for the 2016-2017 academic year, and the scholarship is renewable for an additional three years. Dominion Foundation President Hunter A. Applewhite said, “Mira was selected based on her community service, leadership and academic performance…This scholarship honors the memories of Matthew, Rachael, and Nicole through the outstanding accomplishments of the scholarship recipients.” Mira will study biology at Howard University.

DOMINION MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED TO GEO MIN. (NNDP) TheNewport News (VA) Daily Press (9/7, Subscription Publication, 182K) reports Geo Min, who will study engineering at Virginia Tech, has been selected as one of six winners of the Dominion Memorial Scholarships Program, which was “established in the memory of Matthew Gregory Gwaltney, Rachael Elizabeth Hill and Nicole Regina White, three students with close ties to Dominion who were slain in the April 16, 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech.” Dominion Foundation President Hunter A. Applewhite said, “Geo was selected based on his community service, leadership, and academic performance…This scholarship honors the memories of Matthew, Rachael, and Nicole through the outstanding accomplishments of the scholarship recipients.”

WEST POINT ALUMNUS RECEIVES DOMINION MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP. (NNDP) The Newport News (VA) Daily Press (9/7, Subscription Publication, 182K) reports West Point alumnus Willow Janine Pedersen is among six recipients of Dominion memorial scholarships, which were established “nine years ago in memory of three students with close ties to Dominion who were slain in the Virginia Tech shootings: Matthew Gregory Gwaltney, Rachael Elizabeth Hill and Nicole Regina White.” Pedersen received one of the Nicole Regina White Memorial scholarships, and will receive $5,000 for the 2016-2017 academic year, with the option to renew the scholarship for an additional three years. Dominion Foundation President Hunter A. Applewhite said, “Willow was selected based on her community service, leadership and academic performance…This scholarship honors the memories of Matthew, Rachael, and Nicole through the outstanding accomplishments of the scholarship recipients.”

2013 Dominion Virginia Power Scholarship Recipients

Dominion has selected six college-bound students as recipients of Dominion Memorial Scholarships.

The fund, now in its sixth year, was established in memory of Matthew Gregory Gwaltney, Rachael Elizabeth Hill and Nicole Regina White, three students with close ties to Dominion who were killed in the April 16, 2007, shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

Two annual $5,000 scholarships each are named for Gwaltney, Hill and White. The winners were selected from 200 applicants from 12 states, and were chosen based on community service, leadership and academic performance. The scholarships are renewable for up to three years.

The scholarships are offered to the children and grandchildren of Dominion employees and retirees.

Recipients of the Matthew Gregory Gwaltney Memorial Scholarships are:

Gina Theresa Rosso, McKeesport, PA, daughter of Elizabeth Ann Rosso, IT Retail. Gina has been involved in Student Government as class President, President of the National Honor Society, and served as captain of the volleyball team. She also volunteered her time at St. Angela Merici and the LaRosa Boys and Girls Club.
Benjamin Michael Hohman, Mechanicsville, VA, son of Michael Raymond Hohman, Aviation. Benjamin is an Eagle Scout and served as 1st Sergeant in the Air Force JROTC. He has also worked as a line service technician at Hanover County Municipal Airport where his duties included fueling, parking, marshalling aircraft.

Recipients of the Rachael Elizabeth Hill Memorial Scholarship are:

Keely Ryan O’Keefe, Glen Allen, VA, daughter of Thomas William O’Keefe, Generation Nuclear Engineering. Keely has excelled in academics as well as sports, is a member of the National Honor Society and was captain of her cross country, indoor track teams. She also volunteers her time a various organizations including West End Cat Rescue where she has fostered a total of 39 cats and kittens.
Michael William Fouts, Bridgeport, WV, son of Billy Kenneth Fouts, who retired from IT after 35 years of service. Michael is interested in engineering and robotics. In fact, to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, he established the first Robotics Team at his local middle school. He was also a Software Analysis Intern at NASA.

Recipients of the Nicole Regina White Memorial Scholarship are:

Rachel Lane Baker, Williamston, NC, granddaughter of James Wilford Griffin, who retired from Nuclear Engineering at North Anna Power Station after 43 years of service. Rachel has served as Class President, Vice President of the National Honor Society and is a volunteer Sunday school teacher at her church. As a result of the cancer struggles of her mother and grandmother, Rachel has decided to dedicate her life to fighting cancer by pursuing a career in oncology.
Laura Jean Kastner, Niantic, CT, daughter of Robert John Kastner, Millstone Operations. Laura has a proven record of leadership and volunteerism with Student Senate, National Honor Society, Track and Field, a cappella singing groups and service at the Shoreline Food Pantry. She has provided over 200 hours of service in her community since her freshman year.

Congratulations to each of our winners!

2011 Dominion Virginia Power Scholarship Recipients

Click image below to read
a thank-you letter from Lucas

On behalf of Dominion and the families of Matthew Gwaltney, Rachael Hill and Nicole White, I am pleased to inform you that you have been chosen to receive a Dominion Memorial Scholarship. Now in its fourth year, the scholarship fund was established in memory of Matthew, Rachael, and Nicole — three students with close ties to Dominion who were killed in the April 16, 2007, shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

The selection process was very competitive. Six recipients were chosen from among 196 applicants from 13 states. Scholarships and recipients are as follows:

Matthew Gregory Gwaltney Memorial Scholarship
- Benjamin Hon-Wen Heah, Midlothian, Virginia
- Taylor Jasper Calder, Henrico, Virginia
Rachael Elizabeth Hill Memorial Scholarship
- Kelsey Lauren Link, Spotsylvania, Virginia
- Max Tan, East Lyme, Connecticut
Nicole Regina White Memorial Scholarship
- Mackensie Joy Pless, Bolivia, North Carolina
- Lucas Casserlie, Doylestown, Ohio

Judges based the selection on academic performance, community service and leadership. You have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in these areas, and we are proud to award you this scholarship. Matthew, Rachael and Nicole were known for these traits. We are confident you will honor their memories through your continued success.

Each scholarship is up to $5,000 for the 2011-12 academic year. The scholarship is renewable for an additional three years, provided you continue to meet the award criteria.

The Dominion family extends all best wishes as you begin your college career.

2010 recipients of the Dominion Virginia Power Memorial Scholarship

On behalf of Dominion and the families of Matthew Gwaltney, Rachael Hill and Nicole White, I am pleased to inform you that you have been chosen to receive a Dominion Memorial Scholarship. Now in its third year, the scholarship fund was established in memory of Matthew, Rachael, and Nicole — three students with close ties to Dominion who were killed in the April 16, 2007, shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

The selection process was very competitive. Six recipients were chosen from among 217 applicants from 15 states. Scholarships and recipients are as follows:

Matthew Gregory Gwaltney Memorial Scholarship

Luke E. Brezovec, State College, Pennsylvania
Collin W. Christovich, Powhatan, Virginia

Rachael Elizabeth Hill Memorial Scholarship

Melanie C. Bartell, Maidens, Virginia
Olivia A. Bonner, Groton Long Point, Connecticut

Nicole Regina White Memorial Scholarship

Ryan M. Bober, Marietta, Ohio
adaline Ralston, Salisbury, North Carolina

Each scholarship is up to $5,000 for the 2010-11 academic year. The scholarship is renewable for an additional three years, provided you continue to meet the award criteria.

The Dominion family extends all best wishes as you begin your college career.

Meet the Recipients of the 2008 Dominion Memorial Scholarships

Six students receive scholarships in remembrance of the Virginia Tech shootings

They share common traits: humble backgrounds, adversity, academics and service to others. Now they share one more thing – carrying on some of those traits in the name of three individuals who lived as they live.

Emerging from last year’s Virginia Tech tragedy is hope in the future of six college-bound students who are the first recipients of the Dominion Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of Matthew Gwaltney, Rachael Hill and Nicole White.

Gwaltney, Hill and White were victims in the classroom shootings and had ties to the Dominion family. Gwaltney was the grandson of Granville Gwaltney, a retired Chester, Va., meter technician; Hill was the granddaughter of James “Bubba” Brooks, a retired Richmond line foreman; and White was the daughter of Mike White, a Hampton, Va., transmission lineman.

The scholarships – $5,000 annually and renewable for up to three years – are offered to the children and grandchildren of Dominion employees and retirees. From a field of 241 applicants from 15 states, six students were selected based on academic performance, community service and leadership by an internal panel and an independent outside council.

“The Dominion community continues to show its support in remembering Nicole, Matthew and Rachel with these scholarships,” said Mike White, father of Nicole White. “We are honored for them to go to young students who continue to be active in their communities with the same love and passion our daughter Nicole had. We are proud to see her legacy continue through others.”

The recipients of the Matthew Gregory Gwaltney Memorial Scholarships are:

Kate Virginia Gibbs, Midlothian, Va. – Granddaughter of Thomas Maneri, a retiree from the Cleveland Customer Service Center.
Jacob Alan Waltermire, Leavittsburg, Ohio – Son of Gregory Waltermire, fitter operator-East Ohio Gas, Youngstown.

The recipients of the Rachael Elizabeth Hill Memorial Scholarships are:

Cassandra Gaye, Mayfield Heights, Ohio – Daughter of H. Lee Gibbs, lead project designer-Electric Distribution Design, Richmond.
Cassandra Ann Rideau, Spring, Texas – Rideau’s guardian is her aunt, Cynthia Rideau Collins, lead production analyst-Dominion Exploration & Production, Houston.

The recipients of the Nicole Regina White Memorial Scholarships are:

Alyse Holliday, Johnstown, Pa. – Holliday’s guardian is Wilfred Brandon, who works in gas operations at the Rager Mountain Station in Johnstown.
Emily Brooke Wade, Fishersville, Va. – Daughter of Adrian Wade, supervisor-Electric Distribution Construction, Charlottesville. Emily Wade’s grandfathers are Frank Wade, a retiree from the Buena Vista office in Virginia, and Harold Huffman, a retiree from the Fishersville office in Virginia.

“As you read the personal stories of these exceptional young people, you will get a glimpse of what developed their character, spirit and determination – the very reasons why they were selected,” said Tom Farrell, chairman, president and CEO. “Four are first-generation college students; two have experienced tragedies of their own; and one is a below-the-elbow congenital amputee who is a competitive swimmer. Dominion is proud to help these outstanding individuals begin their college careers. I believe Matthew, Rachael and Nicole would be proud as well.”

Cassandra Gaye will be the first in her family to attend college and wants to set the bar high for her younger brother and sister. “We’re not a family that can afford to send a kid to college, so I applied for scholarships that had meaning to me,” she said. Gaye was a student council president for three years, and was a softball player and cheerleader. She plans to attend Ohio Northern University and become a high school athletic director.

Being a below-the-elbow congenital amputee has not stopped Kate Gibbs from being a competitive swimmer. She holds the record in the Pan-American 200-meter butterfly and was the Virginia Disabled Swimmer of the Year in grades 9-11. She also is a first alternate on the Para-Olympics swim team that is set to compete in Beijing. “Some of my friends knew Matt Gwaltney, so I want to be a good representative of his memory,” she said. Gibbs plans to attend Washington & Lee University in Virginia and compete on its swim team.

“It would be such an honor to be successful in memory of the Virginia Tech students,” said Alyse Holliday. Because of her parents’ tragic deaths when she was just 10 months old, she plans to become a child advocate to help children who experience the same sorrow. Holliday graduated 10th in a high school class of 256, and was president of a peer mentoring program. As a first-generation college student, she will attend Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and plans go to Penn State law school.

Cassandra Rideau lost both her parents when she was five years old and was raised, along with her three siblings, by her aunt. She again had to face adversity when the family had to relocate to Houston after Hurricane Katrina. “My aunt has always supported me financially and made me feel comfortable,” Rideau said. “I don’t want her to have to pay for my schooling. Having gone through tragedy myself, this scholarship and the meaning behind it will help in a special way.” Rideau plans to attend Louisiana State University and become a lawyer.

Emily Wade also is the first in her family to go to college. “I feel it’s important to set a precedent for my younger brother and cousins. And I want to represent Nicole the best way I can by doing well in school and in my activities,” she said. Wade was a class officer all four years of high school and was on the varsity track team. She is an active community volunteer through her church. Wade plans to study biology and pre-medicine at the University of Virginia.

Jacob Waltermire says he wants to become an adolescent psychologist so nothing like what happened at Virginia Tech will happen again. As a volunteer at a battered women’s shelter, he has seen some of the problems children face growing up. “I don’t want to have just a job, I want to make a difference,” he said. Waltermire will be a first-generation college student and plans to attend Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio.