CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (VHSL Communications) - $28,500 in scholarships will be awarded to 19 Virginia high school seniors representing all parts of the commonwealth by The Allstate Foundation and the Virginia High School League.
The Achievement Awards are the highest honors given by the VHSL to students who have excelled in the classroom, communities and in athletic and academic activities. The Allstate Foundation has partnered with VHSL for 13 years and contributed $289,000 in scholarship funds to empower and support the education of tomorrow’s future leaders.
Two Virginia Beach students received awards:
Justine Singleton, Ocean Lakes High School - Class 6 Academic Activity - “Our Scholastic Bowl team is an integral part of my high school life. Together with people who might have otherwise been strangers, I have faced questions from a varsity of topics. I have worked my way through both junior varsity and varsity rounds, but it is about far more than ranking. Along with my parents, my experiences with my team have shaped me into the person I am today.”
Jack Ruddy, First Colonial High School - Class 5 Male Athlete of the Year - “Compassion and competitiveness are something I utilize in the classroom and on the soccer field. I have learned to tie these two traits into everything I do, and it is because of soccer. Compassion for my competitor, respecting them as people, yet understanding that I will compete against them. Compassion for them as human, no matter the outcome.”
“The Allstate Foundation is proud to support these next generation leaders and history-makers from Virginia,” said Shaundra Turner Jones, Allstate Sr. Corporate Relations Manager. “These amazing young students have shown outstanding initiative both in and outside of the classroom. We know that many families have encountered significant financial hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and it is an honor to assist the VHSL students in their future endeavors and watch them achieve their full potential.”
“We congratulate all these outstanding students for the hard work and perseverance it took to earn this award,” said Billy Haun, VHSL Executive Director. “We believe that the real-life lessons they all have received from participating in VHSL activities and athletics, offer insights into leadership, overcoming adversity and mutual respect that cannot be learned anywhere else. Without a doubt, they are better prepared for their futures ahead and we wish them all the best.”
