Annual Scholars Awards Ceremony
Greenspring's Hunters Crossing Conference Center
Wednesday, May 27 | 7:00pm

(Springfield, Va.) – On Wednesday, May 27, Greenspring will host family, friends, residents, staff, and local school officials at the annual Scholars Awards Ceremony.  At the event this year, thirty-one graduating high school seniors will be recognized as 2015 candidates for $10,000 scholarships from the community. 

In 1999, Greenspring established a Scholars' Fund which provides scholarships to local high school students who have worked in various dining services capacities at the retirement community; in addition to receiving a wage, students may be eligible for scholarships paid directly to the college or professional school of each student's choice.  The scholarships are presented in an effort to reward exemplary students who have shown a commitment to serving the Greenspring community. Students who are eligible for the scholarship must have worked at least 1000 hours at the community during their junior and senior years of high school, have achieved satisfactory grades, and have maintained a disciplinary record free of adverse actions at their high school.  Eligible students must be planning to attend college or professional school full time in the fall of 2015. 

This year, residents, resident clubs, and staff members at Greenspring donated $310,000 to the Greenspring Scholars' Fund.  This is the third year that students are eligible for $10,000 scholarships; six years ago, the scholarship amount was increased from $4000 to $6000 per student, and again increased to $10,000 in 2013.  Since the establishment of the Scholars' Fund at Greenspring, the community has come together to raise over $2 million and has distributed over 200 student scholarships. 

Additionally, seven students will receive donor-designated scholarships totaling $18,000.  The donor-designated scholarships are part of Greenspring educational endowments and will be awarded in future years, as well.  West Potomac High School senior, Margaret O'Meara, will receive the Steve and Renie Guback Scholarship ($5000), which is awarded annually to a student focusing on a major or minor in communications including, but not limited to, the fields of journalism and public relations.  The recipient will be required to perform 150 hours of volunteer service at Greenspring's Channel 6 television studio learning a variety of skills.  The Victor N. Coleman Scholarship ($2000) will be awarded to Jonathan Toth; the scholarship is intended for a student attending a community college or technical school.  The Kathryn Coleman Scholarship will be awarded to five students who intend to study accounting: $3000 to Mei Ling Reynolds and $2000 each to Ali Barakat, Henry Munoz, Monica Forero, Menahil Rauf.  These five students are also candidates for the $10,000 scholarship.

Several guest speakers will be present to assist in honoring the student scholars at the annual ceremony on May 27 including Robert E. Lee High School Principal Deirdre M. Lavery, former Greenspring Scholars' Fund scholarship recipient Amy Everett (class of 2011), and Greenspring Resident Council President Clint Lambert, among others.

2015 Greenspring Scholarship Candidates

ABOUT GREENSPRING: Greenspring, one of 18 retirement communities managed by Erickson Living, is situated on a scenic 58-acre campus in Springfield, Virginia.  The community is home to nearly 2000 residents, many of whom reside in the community's 1404 independent living apartment homes.  At Greenspring, over 200 resident-run and resident-driven programs promote an engaged, fulfilling lifestyle reflected in resident satisfaction levels that exceed the industry average.  Additional information about Greenspring can be found at www.ericksonliving.com.