Since 1975, the Polk County Community Foundation has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for all in our community. Assets managed by the Community Foundation now exceed $52 million. The Foundation receives charitable donations of all sizes from community members and then distributes grants to local nonprofits and educators, as well as scholarships to students.
Many donors to the Foundation have chosen to establish scholarship funds to help make local students’ college dreams come true. The Community Foundation awards the following scholarships to graduating high school seniors and adults going back to school according to donors’ wishes:
A Leg Up Scholarship, Jack H. Albertson Educational Award, John A. Albertson Educational Award, Margery W. Bain-Franklin Scholarship, Susan P. Barbour Scholarship, Polly C. and Carroll G. Bennett Scholarship, Allan C. & Anne B. Boas Scholarship, Bradley Achievement Award, G. Freeman and Elizabeth M. Brooks Scholarship, P. Henry & Sara Molder Burrus Scholarship, J. Harwood Cochrane Educational Award, John Lewis Craddock Educational Award, Gordon L. Foote Educational Award, Stuart and Margaret L. Forbes Scholarship,  Annette W. Hysham Scholarship,  Phil J. Hysham Scholarship, Kirby Endowment Fund Back-to-School Scholarship for Adults, Kirby Endowment Scholarship for First Year Students, John G. Landrum, Jr. Educational Award, Mary Evelyn & Harry Laurent Scholarship, James A. & Renée R. McDermott Scholarship,  Hoyt D. & Tyler B. McEntire Scholarship, Nathaniel M. & Constance J. McIntyre Memorial Scholarship,  Jessica Lauren Mills Memorial Scholarship, N. Elizabeth Nash Scholarship, Arthur M. Nelson Scholarship, William F. & Claire B. Nelson Scholarship, R. Shaw Pettigrew Scholarship, Edward E. & Suzanne K. Plumly Scholarship, Polk County Community Foundation Annual Scholarship, Polk County Community Foundation Endowed Scholarship, Polk County Community Foundation Merit Award, Puddin’ Hill Award, Lelia G. Rainey Nursing Scholarship, The Restart Scholarship, Priscilla and Ellis D. Slater Merit Scholarship Award, Dudley Smith Educational Award, David P. & Barbara Stayman Educational Award, G. Mildred Steinbach and John F. Steinbach Scholarship, Tryon Riding & Hunt Club Scholarship, Guilford S. Turner, Jr. Educational Award, Village Support Award, Joseph Anthony & Adair McIntyre Wagner Scholarship, Tony Wallace Scholarship, Jane Hysham Willis Scholarship, N.W. Willis Scholarship, Frances O. & John W. Wilson Restart Scholarship, Robert & Nancy Worsnop Scholarship.
In 2014, donors establishing these scholarships made possible more than $190,000 in awards given to 58 Polk County and Landrum graduating seniors and adults going back to school. All Foundation awards are a minimum of $1,000 and the maximum scholarships in 2014 are renewable awards worth $16,000. The Community Foundation is honored to help fulfill these donors’ wishes and would like to congratulate the entire class of 2014 and the following recipients of this year’s awards:
Monica Barber, Katherine Barker, Nathan Bowers, Amberly Bradley, Alicia Brewington, Charlyn Bullock, Cassidy Campbell, Portia Carson, Sarah Cash, Olivia Clayton, Jacob Collins, Skylar Curtis, Robyn Dennison, Brianna Dill, Jacqueline Doolittle, Jared Durham, Jamie Greene, Lilah Halbkat, Cody Halford, Madeline Howell, Eli Jenkins, Kathryn Johnson, Brittany Jones, Emily Jones, Andrew Kolberg, Katelin McCall, Noah McCall, Mackenzie McCool, Kayla McEntire, Angela McNamara, Nathan Metcalf, Autumn Miller, Caley Modlin, Ryan Mollette, Ashley Myles, Itzel Najera, Chaitanya Patel, Taliaferro Petoia, Alexis Porter, Morgan Pratt, Karl Riley, Kasey Ruff, China Russell, Kimberly Russell, Samantha Russell, Katherine Sams, Mary Smith, Stephen Stimac, Andrew Suber-Brown, Juliet Taft, Kristin Wade, Philip Waisman, III, Elizabeth Walker, Dylan Weicker, Sheala Wheeler, Caroline Wolfe, Abaigeal Wood, and Rebecca Woodaman.
For more information about scholarships, grants or charitable giving options, please contact the Polk County Community Foundation by visiting 255 South Trade St. in Tryon, calling (828) 859-5314, or checking its website, www.polkccf.org.

– article submitted
by Noah Wood