The GVTC Foundation has been committed to connecting the community to opportunities through its five key areas of giving, which includes education. The foundation firmly believes education is the key to building stronger and more empowered communities. One of the most rewarding contributions that the foundation makes to the community is through its scholarships.
The GVTC Foundation awarded $47,500 in scholarships this year to three graduating seniors in GVTC's service area. The scholarships included the $25,000 Ritchie T. Sorrells Leadership Scholarship, the $15,000 Ola Armstrong Volunteer Scholarship, and the $7,500 Vocational/Technical Scholarship. These scholarships aim to invest in students' futures in the community and support their academic endeavors.
The scholarship recipients were selected from a vast pool of applicants with the help of the New Braunfels Community Foundation (NBCF). The competition was extensive, and each chosen candidate had outstanding accomplishments. The GVTC Foundation Scholarship Committee surprised each student with a Zoom call that included their counselors, and the students' reactions were priceless.
Savay Sexton was the recipient of the $25,000 Ritchie T. Sorrells Scholarship for Leaders. She demonstrated her extraordinary leadership skills through multiple roles within 4-H, Gonzales Robert Lee Brothers Memorial Library Teen Action Group, and Gonzales Bucket Calf Program. Savay will attend Texas A&M University and major in Agriculture Leadership and Development with a minor in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Sciences. Her career goal is to work in international agritourism coordinating tours in Europe and the United States showcasing agriculture entities and how the effects of policy, culture, technology, history, and legacies weave together.
Riley Edmondson received the $15,000 Ola Armstrong Scholarship for Volunteerism. She showed incredible community involvement through several organizations, including Leo Club, CoAPT, HOSA, National Honor Society, FCCLA, and Spanish Club. Riley will attend UT-San Antonio this fall to pursue a nursing degree. After graduation, she plans to transfer to UT-Arlington to continue her education and obtain a nurse practitioner degree. After college, Riley would like to open her own dermatology practice.
Carson Soens was the recipient of the $7,500 Vocational/Technical Scholarship. In the fall, he will attend Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Austin, Texas, to learn more about the culinary industry and expand his skill set. After college, Carson hopes to open his own restaurant and give back to the community through his love of food.
In 2023, GVTC and The GVTC Foundation will distribute over $235,000 to high school seniors in our service area! We understand and value the meaning of being local, and with each contribution made, we hope to enhance students' futures in our communities.
The GVTC Foundation is excited to see a new wave of determination and hope in its scholarship recipients and each generation to follow. Congratulations and good luck to all the scholarship recipients in their much-deserved success and future endeavors.
