Local Teen is a finalist in the West Virginia Scholar Program

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — The 15 finalists for the West Virginia Scholar Program were announced Monday.

West Virginia MetroNews is a partner in the program, in which one person receives a four-year scholarship at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

“Talk about an academically qualified group of people,” said John Waltz, the institution’s vice president for enrollment. “From our applicants, the average GPA of the applicants for this program was a 3.9, and the average GPA of our finalists is a 4.0 on a 4.0 scale.”

The 15 finalists plan on exploring various fields including biology, chemistry, exercise science and business administration:

— Reagan Boggess of Culloden.
— Cole Clendenin of Clendenin.
— Kyra Cook of Buckhannon.
— Isabella Elkins of South Charleston.
— Makenzie Fultineer of Martinsburg.
— Keely Gregory of Bruceton Mills.
— Trinity Hamilton of Tallmansville.
— Kristin Hicks of Parsons.
— Edward Marks of Wellsburg.
— Josie Martin of Wheeling.
— Julia McCoy of Ravenswood.
— Layla McFann of Ona.
— Hayden Pack of Martinsburg.
— Danica Propst of Martinsburg.
— Emilee Teter of Circleville.

Each finalist will next go through a personal interview process and a review by the sponsors. An online public vote on the finalists will go from May 31 through June 13 at https://wvmetronews.com/.

The winner of the West Virginia Scholar 2021 will be announced at a luncheon tentatively scheduled for June 23.

Along with MetroNews and West Virginia Wesleyan, other sponsors include Friends of Coal, West Virginia Farm Bureau, West Virginia Hospital Association, ZMM Architects and Engineers, and Lou Wendell Marine Sales.