Six outstanding Greene County students were honored as recipients of the inaugural EQT Students of Excellence Scholarship according to the Community Foundation of Greene County (CFGC).
The six students and their families gathered at the Hampton Inn, Wednesday evening for a special reception for the scholarship awards hosted by CFGC, along with representatives from the ETQ Foundation, CFGC board members, and local school administrators.
The EQT Students of Excellence Scholarship was established by The EQT Foundation at CFGC earlier this year to provide the six scholarships for local students. The new scholarship fund provides one award of up to $72,000 – up to $18,000 per school year for four years of post-secondary education. The other five scholarships are one-time $1,000 awards.
The six scholarship recipients each received a certificate of their scholarship award presented by Jeff McCracken, Chairman of the CFGC Board of Directors, and Dave Smith, President of the EQT Foundation, at the reception.
“The generosity of the EQT Foundation in providing these scholarship opportunities is unparalleled in Greene County,” said Jeff McCracken, Chairman of the CFGC Board of Directors. “We are honored to partner with them to bring such a life-changing opportunity to our students.”
“The EQT Foundation strives to identify opportunities that impact the communities we serve in powerful ways,” said Dave Smith, President of the EQT Foundation. “And what better way to shape the future than by supporting the education of tomorrow’s leaders and innovators.”
Joseph Reed received the EQT Students of Excellence scholarship valued at up to $72,000 over four years of college. In addition to the scholarship certificate, Reed also received a presentation check to commemorate his award. Reed, who is graduating from West Greene High School is the son of Robert and Karen Reed of Center Township. He will be attending Grove City College, in Grove City, Pennsylvania, with a major in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Chemical Engineering. At West Greene, Reed is President of the National Honor Society and Calculus Club, Treasurer of the West Greene Engineering Club, and member of the Peer Mentoring team and Ski Club. He served as captain of the West Greene Basketball and Baseball teams. He also served as secretary of the Greene County 4-H Swine Club and participated in many school, community and church volunteer activities. He earlier experienced a job shadowing opportunity with a civil engineer at the Beaver Cracker Plan construction site.
The following students each received a $1,000 scholarship: Matthew Barrish, Cameron Cernuska, Joseph Kurincak, Selena Phillips, and Andrew Wise.
Matthew Barrish, the son of Andy and Kristen Barrish of Carmichaels, is graduating from Carmichaels Area High School. He will attend Fairmont State University in Fairmon West Virginia majoring in Civil Engineering.
Cameron Cernuska, graduating from Jefferson-Morgan High School, is the son of Steve and Juliann Cernuska of Jefferson. He plans to attend Bucknell University with a major in Chemical Engineering.
Joseph Kurincak is the son of Bernard and Donna Kurincak of Carmichaels. Graduating form Carmichaels Area High School, he plans to attend Penn State – Fayette to major in Environmental Systems Engineering.
Selena Phillips, graduating from Waynesburg Central High School, is the daughter of Jim and Paulette Phillips of Spraggs. She plans to attend Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky with a major in Petroleum Engineering. Phillips will participate in the 3-2 engineering program with 3 years at Morehead and 2 years at Penn State University.
Andrew Wise, son of Andy and Mary Ellen Wise of Graysville, is graduating from West Green High School. He will attend Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa. and plans to major in Civil Engineering.
“The selection committee was impressed with the quality of the applications we received,” commented Lucy Corwin, chairperson of the CFGC scholarship selection committee. “The eligible students who applied should be proud of their accomplishments in high school and we are confident they will succeed as they further their education.”
The EQT Students of Excellence Scholarship is open to graduating high school senior students who residents of Greene County and planning to purse a degree in a field that supports the fossil fuel industry, such as, computer science or information technology, civil, chemical or petroleum engineering, energy or land management, environmental science, geology, safety science or welding. Applicants had to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and submit and essay on why they had chosen to pursue a field in support of the fossil fuel industry and how they plan to contribute to that industry, along with a letter of recommendation and list of extra-curricular school and community service activities.
About the EQT Foundation
The EQT Foundation was established by EQT Corporation, one of the nation’s premier natural gas producers, and is committed to the social and economic vitality of our operating regions. The EQT Foundation believes in meaningful engagement with the communities it calls home and takes great pride in the role as both a responsible and responsive corporate citizen. The EQT Foundation has developed strong partnerships with a variety of nonprofit organizations to enrich the diversity and viability of our communities, sustain the principles of continuous learning, and focus on environmental protection efforts. Read more at: www.eqt.com/our-communities/eqt-foundation
About the Community Foundation of Greene County
The Community Foundation of Greene County (CFGC), a private, non-profit, charitable 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2000, is the central philanthropic vehicle in Greene County for donations of various types and sizes to help people who care address causes that matter. CFGC currently manages $5 million in assets through 89 permanent endowed and restricted funds including 23 scholarships for Greene County residents. The EQT Students of Excellence Scholarship is the largest scholarship offered through CFGC.
For more information about this scholarship, CFGC and other opportunities for giving through the Foundation, please contact the Foundation office at 724-627-2010 or email at cfgcpa@gmail.com.