Coastal Community Foundation awarded more than $212,000 in new and renewable scholarships to 109 area students to pursue private or parochial high school education or a four-year college degree.

Individuals and families in the Lowcountry community have created scholarship funds or endowments at Coastal Community Foundation either as living legacies or to honor the memory of loved ones, many of whom were students themselves in the prime of their academic lives.

The Foundation shares the stories of these donors and loved ones with the students who receive the scholarships.

“A number of this year’s 109 award recipients benefited from awards from multiple scholarship funds,” said Richard Hendry, vice president of Grants and Programs.  “With many of our funding programs, money from various donors is combined to accomplish a shared purpose – in this case, recognizing excellence in our community’s youth.”

Local Scholarship recipients

•Chrissy DiNicola (Mount Pleasant) – A rising junior at Duke University, she is majoring in English and focusing on journalism.

•Samantha Donner (Mount Pleasant) –A junior at Furman University, Donner is majoring in Music Education. After graduation from Furman, she hopes to attend graduate school to obtain a master’s degree in education.

•Yija (Jimmy) Mu (Mount Pleasant) – A graduate of the Academic Magnet High School in Charleston, where he held a 4.9 GPA. He will attend Duke University in the fall to major in biological science.

 

Frantz, Mullaney recognized

•Emily Frantz of Mount  Pleasant received The Religious Studies Departmental Award for  Leadership and Commitment for the 2009 academic year.

Frantz is a member  of the class of 2009 at Agnes Scott College, an independent national liberal arts and sciences college for women founded in 1889.

“These students represent the best and brightest at Agnes Scott, and our  annual Awards Day Convocation provides the opportunity to acknowledge  their wide-ranging achievements,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs  and Dean of the College Rosemary Lévy Zumwalt during this year’s awards convocation.

Frantz is the daughter of David Ruggles and Linda Ruggles.

The award goes to the religious studies major who has exemplified  leadership abilities in her classes and in the department.

•Elizabeth Mullaney of Mount Pleasant  received The Michael J. Brown History Prize for the  2009 academic year. Mullaney is a member of the class of 2009 at Agnes  Scott College, an independent national liberal arts and sciences college  for women founded in 1889.

“Elizabeth is among prestigious company. Her fellow awardees come  from all over the nation and all over the world. They exemplify the  tradition of extraordinary student scholarship and leadership at Agnes Scott,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs  and Dean of the College Rosemary Lévy Zumwalt during this year’s awards convocation.

Mullaney is the daughter of Gary Mullaney and Nancye Mullaney.

This award recognizes a history major who, in the opinion of the  department, has demonstrated outstanding skills in historical  research/writing/reading, a depth and breadth of historical knowledge, and  an eagerness and ability to share this knowledge with others.

Marsh makes Honor List

Courtney Marsh was named to the President’s Honor List during the fall 2008 semester and the spring 2009 semester at the University of South Carolina. In order to merit such distinction, a student must earn a 4.0 grade point average.

Marsh is a Biology major in the Honors College. She also completed a four week summer 2009 course of study at the University of Valladolid in Valladolid, Spain. She resides on the Isle of Palms with her parents, Pamela and Bill Marsh.

Commended Students

The director of guidance, Sallie Tompkins, of Bishop England High School announced that seven students have been named Commended Students in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program:  James Baldwin, David Dunlay, Deborah Hudson, Claire Lydiard, Ian McMillan, Luke Navarro, and Cody Orick.  

A Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, was presented by the principal to these scholastically talented seniors.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise.  

Although they will not continue in the 2010 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2010 competition by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

Dean’s List

Tara Sullivan of Mount Pleasant was named to the dean’s list for the 2009 spring semester at Davis & Elkins College.

Sullivan is majoring in psychology and human services with a minor in biology. She is the daughter of Julie O’Reilly.