The Roanoke Kiwanis is giving out $14,000 for six scholarships to high school seniors this year. Scholarships are given to applicants from the nine area high schools with Key Clubs sponsored by Kiwanis – William Fleming, Patrick Henry, Cave Spring, Hidden Valley, Northside, Roanoke Catholic School, Staunton River, Forest Park Academy, and Faith Christian School.
Students complete an application that includes a personal history, their expected field of interest for college, transcripts, and extracurricular and service activities. Applicants also provide letters of recommendation. The Kiwanis Scholarship Committee reads through as many as 35 applications and scores them by giving 40% weight to financial need, 30% to school and community service, and 30% to academic achievement. Applicants are then ranked and the results tabulated.
Six finalists are interviewed by the committee and then ranked to receive the Franklin Award ($4,000) named for a former Kiwanis member and his wife who were benefactors of the Roanoke Kiwanis Foundation; the Henh Ly Award ($3,000) named for a Kiwanis Scholarship recipient who was tragically killed in the 2008 shootings at Virginia Tech; and four additional scholarship finalists will receive $1,750 each.
