Wilson, Grafton, and PHS Alumni Scholarships Awarded
Parsons Advocate August 2011
Wilson, Grafton, and PHS Alumni Scholarships Awarded
Paul Garrett, Audra Hull, and Samantha Betler are among thirty-eight students receiving scholarship awards from the Tucker Community Foundation. All three students reside in Parsons.
Garrett, age 5, received the Gary Wilson Scholarship. Named in memory of a local teacher, the Gary Wilson Fund provides an annual award for a Tucker County resident who is a student at a Christian elementary, middle or high school, or being home schooled employing Christian educational principles and values. Wilson was an English teacher at the Davis Correctional Center for juvenile offenders. He died while fishing on the Cheat River at the age of 43. The fund was started in 1991 by fiancée Marie Grafton and members of Tucker Community Chorus of which Mr. Wilson was a member. Garrett will be homeschooled using the A Beka Academy program. He is the son of Paul and Amanda Garrett.
The Margaret Ann and James A. Grafton Fund provides an annual scholarship for students of West Virginia University School of Nursing and/or WVU School of Forestry and/or persons seeking a major in occupational safety. It may be given to seniors at Tucker County High School or from Barbour County, or to older students entering one of the designated schools at WVU.
Margaret was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Parsons, a 4-H All- Star, and a 12 year leader of the Four Seasons 4-H Club. She died in 1981, at the age of 46. Her husband Jim remains at their home in Parsons.
James A. was the oldest of the seven Grafton children. He was a 1973 graduate of Parsons High School, and attended West Virginia University where he received a master’s degree in occupational safety. He died Dec. 12, 2001.
The Margaret Ann & James A. Grafton Scholarship was awarded to Audra Hull, a graduate of Tucker High School who plans to major in Occupational Safety at Fairmont State. She is the daughter of Steve and Julia Hull.
The Parsons High School Alumni Scholarship Fund provides support for Tucker County High School graduates who are descendants of PHS alumni. The Alumni Association formed in 1974, began awarding scholarships in 1988, and endowed a fund with the Foundation in 2001. This year’s scholarship recipient is Samantha Betler, daughter of Gary & Kim Betler, who will enter the Veterinarian Technician Program at Pierpont Technical & Community College in Fairmont this fall. Betler is also a graduate of Tucker County High School.
To view the complete list of 2011 scholarship recipients, visit Tucker Community Foundation at www.tuckerfoundation.net.
