Amanda Bates
Ms. Bates is the second oldest of a family of eight children. Growing up in Front Royal she was very involved in various volunteer community activities, sports and was president of her class every year from seventh to eleventh grade. She was appointed president of Skyline High School her senior year.
While at LFCC she continued to be involved in student government and sports while holding three to four jobs at a time and remained on the Dean’s list every semester.
She is currently a junior at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC declaring a major in Sociology/Anthropology concentrating in Archaeology with a minor in Religious Studies. In May 2016 she will take a study abroad program in Scotland revolving around community, work and spirituality at Corrymeela, an international peacemaking community around the civil conflict in Northern Ireland.
Upon her return she will attend an archaeology field school at the Berry Site, a 450 year old Native American site in Burke County,NC. Her long term goal is to obtain a Masters in film making with the intention of creating documentaries to better educate others concerning world culture, history and culture.
Tuition and fees for current semesters, after financial aid and government loans, are about$10,000. Awarded $1,000 towards her educational costs.
Hannah Bement
Ms. Bement has an extensive background in science and environmental research. She had a past career in research jobs but realized teaching is her true passion. She loves “seeing the spark in a child’s eyes when they make a connection to the natural world…”She has worked with youth thru internships, volunteering and contract positions at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, and the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation. She has a Bachelors of Science of Biology through the University of Akron in Ohio and a Masters of Environmental Science Degree through the Yale School of Forestry.
She is currently teaching high school science at Randolph-Macon Academy. She has a 3 year provisional teaching license with proficiency in Biology. Needs to obtain her 5 year renewable Virginia teaching license. Plans to take four courses thru the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Virginia-Wise starting next summer (2016). This is a program tailored for teachers working towards their licensure.
Cost of four required courses totals $2,628. Randolph-Macon Academy will reimburse half of the cost of tuition upon her successful completion of the courses. The remaining $1,628 will be out of pocket. Awarded $1,000 towards her educational costs.
Rev. Wilma J. Brooks
Rev. W. J. Brooks worked in Northern VA in the non-profit area for 20 years primarily with disadvantaged children and families, healthcare and public policy. She became an ordained Baptist clergy in 2014.
Her dream is to create a faith-based consulting business offering education, services and projects.
Awarded $500 towards business expenses.
Franzi Curry
Ms. Curry is the owner and photographer at Fotos by Franzi Photography, specializing in high school senior photography. She offers a one-on-one relationship with students throughout the year to “capture the many memories senior year brings”. This includes homecoming, prom, yearbook and cap and gown.
She works a full time job, commutes and does her photography in the evenings and weekends. She is a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient for revamping Blue Ridge Opportunities. She volunteers at Warren County Humane Society.
Ms. Curry received an advanced diploma from Warren County High School. She received an Associates in Business Administration from LFCC and transferred to Shenandoah University. In 2012 she completed her Bachelor’s in Business Administration, achieving Summa Cum Laude honors and is currently working towards her MBA. She has paid/is paying for all her educational expenses.
She needs an updated computer in order to increase her productivity and grow her business. Awarded $1,000 towards the cost of an iMac.
Allyson Gillispie
Ms. Gillispie is married with a 10 year old son. She grew up in Front Royal and is involved in the community. She received a Dare to Dream grant in 2006.
She has been a music teacher working with special needs children for 9 years. She works with children who have a variety of diagnoses. She finds this work “inspiring and humbling”. She currently works at Northwestern Regional Educational Program in Frederick County as an assistant in an autism preschool class. She plans to begin graduate classes in January to obtain her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education.
The NW Works Chimers were originally started by the music therapy department at Shenandoah University. The Chimers are a group of adults with intellectual disabilities that play tone chimes. Ms. Gillespie volunteered with this group over a five year period.
In the spring of 2014 she was asked by the Warren County Special Olympics committee to do an 8-week activity. She did a trial Chimers group consisting of 12 participants ranging from 3rd grade to 22 years old. This culminated in a concert performance at the local Methodist church.(Instruments were borrowed.)
This past spring (2015) she began the Skyline Chimers, a group of 14 young adults with intellectual disabilities. They presented a concert in May 2015 at the Methodist church which was fully attended. Currently she needs a 2-octave box of tone chimes. Awarded $900 to purchase the tone chimes.
Barbara Jennings
Ms. Jennings is an artist who received a Dare to Dream grant in 2014 to help her make prints of her oil and color paintings which she sold at festivals, etc .
Ms. Jennings is 80 years old and is a widow with two grown children. She taught herself to paint and has taught painting classes in the area. She enjoys vegetable gardening, canning, writing and helping others.
She wrote a book about her mother and her healing from Alzheimer’s. Her current dream is to have the book published and is asking for grant money for the cost of publishing. Awarded $200 towards publishing costs.
Brooke Rey
Ms. Rey is 23 years old and the single parent of a 5 year old son. She moved to the area 2.5 years ago. She is determined to achieve her educational goals despite her income.
She is currently finishing her general studies at LFCC. She is enrolled in a phlebotomy program that begins in 2016 and plans on applying for a surgical tech program that will begin fall 2016. Both programs are a year- long and are intertwined.
Cost of the surgical tech program is $5,000 plus the cost of books and required attire. Awarded $1,000 towards her educational costs.
2016 Elaine Bromfield Memorial Scholarship Recipient
Myranda Garber
Ms. Garber is 19 years old with very specific plans for her future. She was raised in Front Royal ,VA and plans to teach and raise a family in the area. Her grandparents and parents were tradesmen and factory workers. Her mother is the only one of those generations to get her high school diploma.
In high school she worked with children in pre-school classes and realized that teaching is her calling because it is “self-fulfilling” and would give her a stable income along with allowing her time to raise a family.
She is currently in her second semester at LFCC. She will receive her General Studies Associates Degree in 2017 after four semesters. She will then transfer to a college to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree. She plans to go into elementary education. She estimates she will have $30,000 debt by the end of her education.
Awarded $1,000 through the Elaine Bromfield Memorial Scholarship towards her educational costs.