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Twenty of the states top-performing high school seniors have been awarded the Neil S. Bucklew Scholarship to attend West Virginia University in the fall.

The scholarship, valued at more than $24,400, provides each student with more than $6,100 per year toward educational costs during their four years at WVU .


The scholarships creator, Neil S. Bucklew, served as WVU s 20th president from 1986 to 1995. The Bucklew Scholarships are part of the Universitys comprehensive awards program and are supported, in part, by the WVU Foundation .


The 2009 Bucklew scholars are: *Caroline Bailey
, Saint Marys, Saint Marys High School; Julia Barry , Romney, Hampshire High School; Robert Guy , Wheeling, Wheeling Park High School; Dane Hamilton , Grafton, East Fairmont High School; Sierra Hedrick , Poca, Nitro High School; Nicholas Horvath , Morgantown, Morgantown High School; Kyle Kimerer , Parkersburg, Parkersburg South High School; Virginia King , Elkins, Elkins High School; William Maiden , Saint Marys, Saint Marys High School; Emily Ngan , Morgantown, Trinity Christian School; Lucas Pennock , Mineral Wells, Parkersburg South High School; Rebecca Posa , Kearneysville, Jefferson High School; Elizabeth Scott , Lewisburg, Greenbrier East High School; Lindsey Sinclair , Vienna, Parkersburg High School; Sara Swanson , Mount Clare, Bridgeport High School; Amanda Thorp , Weirton, Weir High School; Jonathan Turner , Fairmont, Fairmont Senior High School; David Webb , Cross Lanes, Nitro High School; Sara Willingham , New Creek, Keyser High School; and Chelsea Willis , Keyser, Keyser High School.


The scholarship winners are eligible for WVU s top academic award, the Foundation Scholarship, which is awarded to the top five Bucklew Scholars and valued at more than $50,000. The finalists will be announced in early May by Gov. Joe Manchin and University officials at a ceremony at the Charleston Capitol Complex.


Bucklew Scholars:


Caroline Bailey , of Saint Marys, has often thought about joining the Peace Corps.


Graduating at the top of her class, Bailey will study political science at WVU in the fall.


Much of her interest in international and national politics has sprung from her involvement in her local 4-H Club. Bailey has served as president, vice president and parliamentarian. She was also one of four students who traveled to Washington, D.C., to represent West Virginia at the National 4-H Conference.


This experience not only enriched my knowledge of the 4-H world and our national connection, but it also allowed me to express the feelings of many 4-Hers across West Virginia,Bailey wrote in her scholarship application.


At Saint Marys High School, Bailey has also been active in the National Honor Society, National Spanish Honorary and Science Honorary. On a national level, she was nominated to be a People to People Student Ambassador and was named to Whos Who Among American High School Students.


She was also a member of the varsity cheerleading squad, West Virginia All-State Chorus, marching band, jazz band, concert band, student council and other groups.


Bailey has taken advanced courses in chemistry, literature, language arts, government and calculus, and she completed a college-level course in algebra.


She is the daughter of Jeffery and Susan Bailey.


Hampshire High School class valedictorian and National Merit finalist Julia Barry, of Romney, will study to be an occupational therapist.


A member of the National Honor Society and president of the Spanish Club, Barry has set a goal to become fluent in Spanish.


Aside from academics, Barry has dedicated much of her time to volunteering.


She has read to deaf children at the West Virginia School for the Deaf, volunteered at a local nursing home and has done various service projects for local animal shelters.


Barry has also been active in the Alzheimers Memory Walk, which she does in honor of her grandmother. She has participated in the walk for the last four years and has helped collect several hundred dollars in donations.


The walk helped me to counteract the sense of futility I felt while watching my grandma forget her life,she wrote in her scholarship application.It was too late for my grandma, but the money I have raised will fund research to help future generations of patients.


Barry has taken on the roles of both president and vice president during her eight years in the 4-H Club, and she was also a first seed player on her high schools tennis team.


She has taken advanced courses in biology, English, calculus and art history, as well as a college-level history course.


She is the daughter of Carson and Deborah Barry.


RobertBobbyGuy from Wheeling Park High School says music is a passion in his life. A bass player since elementary school, Guy is a member of the Wheeling Symphony Youth Orchestra and his schools orchestra and jazz bands. He has been a member of the all-state orchestra and participated in the West Virginia Jazz Festival for the past four years. He also volunteers as an usher at Wheeling Symphony Orchestra concerts.


For centuries, orchestras have inspired and enriched the communities where they have resided,Guy wrote in his scholarship application.At both the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and its Youth Orchestra counterpart, I have seen the audience enjoying itself in a way which only the arts can provide.


A National Merit finalist, Guy was listed in Whos Who Among American High School Students and has been a member of the National Society of High School Students, the National Honor Society and National Honor Roll. He is also a lifetime member of the Royal Order of the Golden Horseshoe.


He has been a student council representative for all four years of high school, and this past year, he was senior class secretary. Hes participated in Wheeling Parks track and cross country teams, Key Club, German Club, Hi-Y, the Junior Engineering and Technical Society Team, West Virginia Math League and Astronomy Club.


He is interested in engineering and music.


Guy has taken advanced courses in history, English, statistics, calculus and physics. He has also completed college-level courses in physical education and networking.


He is the son of Robert and Cheryl Guy.


Dane Hamilton , of Grafton, is not the type of student to sit in the back and take notes. He prefers to be an active leader in his and otherseducation.


As the first governor of Mountaineer Boys State from Marion County in 50 years and the first from East Fairmont High School, he has represented both his community and state nationally.


Hamilton has also served as student body president and student liaison to the Marion County Board of Education, where he helped with the planning committee.


He has led canned food drives, implemented leadership programs and begun service activities.


My experiences have revealed the value of donating time to benefit others,Hamilton wrote in his scholarship application.


Hamilton, who will major in electrical engineering in the fall, hopes to someday travel to India, where he plans to study the technological advances found only in that country.


India has a solid economy, a vastly increasing population, unique landscapes and territories and one of the oldest cultures known to this world,he wrote.By studying the effects of new technologies on India, I would better prepare myself to enter the professional world of technology.


Hamilton has taken advanced courses in biology, government, calculus, English and history.


His parents are Delane and Pamela Hamilton.


To Sierra Hedrick , the only real way a person can understand how the world works is to first understand how the human body works.


Hedrick, who will graduate from Nitro High School at the top of her class, will major in biology at WVU .


While attending WVU , the Poca resident hopes to spend a summer participating in cancer research at one of the National Institutes of Health departments. Hedrick would like to study the genetics involved in breast, ovarian and prostate cancers, among other things.


This summer program would indeed augment my college experience by providing the opportunity to participate in research outside of the classroom, to engage in research that might be used in the search for a cure for cancer and to provide significant information that will be useful in my future educational pursuits,Hedrick wrote in her scholarship application.


A finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program, Hedrick has also been a participant in the state Governors Honors Academy, a Girls State nominee and a member of the National Honor Society.


She has taken advanced courses in English, government, calculus, biology, history, chemistry and a college-level course in sociology. She was recognized as an outstanding student in advanced biology, advanced calculus and other subjects.


Her parents are Terry and Lisa Hedrick.


Nick Horvath has focused his career goals on improving the quality of life both for humans and animals, something he attributes to his many years with the Boy Scouts.


The Morgantown resident will study biomedical engineering at WVU .


Horvath also plans to become active in the WVU chapter of Engineers Without Borders and become fluent in Spanishboth things he hopes to use to broaden his knowledge of how other cultures are making engineering improvements.


It could provide the chance to learn about the different approaches other countries are taking to address important advances in the engineering field, such as green building initiatives, energy and resource conservation and alternative energy sources,Horvath wrote in his scholarship application.


Horvath has been involved in a wide range of activities, from lacrosse to math and science competitions. He served as president of the Math Honor Society, vice president of the Science Honor Society and captain of the Science Bowl Team at Morgantown High School.


A finalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program, Horvath has taken advanced courses in English, calculus, chemistry, biology and physics.


He intends to graduate from WVU not only as a better student, but a better citizen.


The university experience offers many opportunities for self-improvement and personal growth, and I intend to capitalize on these opportunities,he wrote.


His parents are David and Marguerite Horvath.


Kyle Kimerer has already begun his service to the medical community as a volunteer at Camden Clark Memorial Hospital.


The Parkersburg resident and student at Parkersburg South High School will major in exercise physiology at WVU . His ultimate goal is to become a doctor.


Volunteering at the hospital is very important to me,Kimerer wrote in his scholarship application.I feel it helps the nurses concentrate more on what is important: the patientsneeds instead of the little things that a volunteer, like me, can do.


Mentioned in Whos Who Among Outstanding Students in America, Kimerer is an active member of the National Society for High School Scholars.


He has taken advanced courses in chemistry, calculus, English, psychology and biology, and he will graduate in the top 1 percent of his high school class.


Kimerer has also been captain of his high schools varsity baseball team and an active member of the Boy Scouts of America.


He is the son of Kent and Pamela Kimerer.


When the Obama campaign came to Elkins, Virginia ElizabethKing found herself immersed in politics. After attending a few meetings, she started calling voters and organizing campaign efforts at her high school. She was later put in charge of two precincts.


Although Obama did not win West Virginia, I am satisfied knowing that I have not only grown personally, but locally contributed to the positive progress of a generation,King wrote in her scholarship application.


After graduating from Elkins High School, she will study international studies and foreign language at WVU .


King has been active in the Spanish Honor Society and National Honor Society. She participated in the state Governors Honors Academy and Governors School for the Arts, and she received a perfect score on the West Virginia Writing Assessment.


King has taken advanced courses in English, history, Spanish and government.


When it comes to extracurricular activities, she has served on class council, the Randolph County Democratic Committee and International Club, and she was the founder and president of the Young Democrats club at her high school.


She is the daughter of Bill and Beth King.


While WilliamBillyMaiden may come from the small town of Saint Marys, his goals are far from small.


Maiden plans to travel the world with Doctors Without Borders after he graduates from WVU with a doctorate in pharmacy. He would like to help those who cannot afford medical care and learn more about different cultures.


It is extremely important that our society learns acceptance of other cultures and ways of life,he wrote in his scholarship application.


Maiden, a finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program, will graduate from Saint Marys High School at the top of his class.


He has taken advanced courses in chemistry, calculus, literature, language and government.


During his high school career, he has been active in the National Spanish Honor Society, Science Honorary, National Honor Society, Boy Scouts and soccer team.


His parents are Bill and Maureen Maiden.


Emily Ngan , of Morgantown, knows the importance of a well-rounded education.


A leader academically, she has also been the captain of Trinity Christian Schools varsity volleyball team, first violin chair, a contributor to a teen column, student body president and an active volunteer.


When Ngan begins her college career at WVU in the fall, she will major in biology. One of her goals is to find a reliable treatment for sleep apnea in children.


Honored with the Presidents Volunteer Service Award her freshman through junior years of high school, Ngan has had many rewarding experiences volunteering, but one in particular stands out.


Being a Special Olympics volunteer for two years was one of her most gratifying experiences. She led athletes and helped the dental team recruit and screen more than 200 participants for dental diseases.


Volunteering definitely requires a sense of selflessness, and I believe that through participation in this event, I have come away more compassionate, patient, generous and appreciative of the sincere and loving nature of human beings,Ngan wrote in her scholarship application.


She has also volunteered at science camp, art camp and Ruby Memorial Hospital.


Ngan has taken advanced courses in calculus, English, history, chemistry and biology.


She is the daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Ngan.


Inducted into the Boy Scouts of America Order of the Arrow, Lucas Pennock has led groups on overnight canoe trips, including one in Ontario, and served as an assistant scoutmaster and senior patrol leader.


While these experiences were challenging for Pennock, they taught him a lot about himself.


Leadership is defined by how one responds to personal adversity,he wrote in his scholarship application.I proved to myself that as Walt Disney said, �€~A kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.


The Mineral Wells resident will study history and political science when he attends WVU in the fall.


Graduating in the top 5 percent of Parkersburg South High Schools senior class, Pennock has been involved in many Quiz Bowl tournaments and was captain of his high schools Quiz Bowl team. He has participated in public debates and been a member of both the French and National Honor societies. He also attended the state Governors Honors Academy.


Pennock has taken advanced courses in calculus, chemistry, English and history, and he has completed college-level courses in psychology and sociology.


He is the son of Dan and Janie Pennock.


Although she is No. 1 in her class of 388 at Jefferson High School, Rebecca Posa has faced some of her biggest challenges and enjoyed some of her most satisfying successes outside the classroom.


Each year, she accompanies a church group to Webster County to help poor families rebuild and repair their homes. Participants are divided into crews and given a project to complete for the week.


It has been a trying experience for me because I work long days doing tasks I find incredibly difficult,she wrote in her scholarship application.I can see that it makes a difference, though, which is why I come back every year.


Her other community activities include serving as a counselor at a nature camp for youth, reading to children, serving meals and providing companionship to seniors as part of a youth group and 4-H.


Posa is heavily involved in the Summit Point Busy Bee 4-H, serving as vice president and treasurer the past two years. She has won blue ribbons for local projects four straight years.


She is a National Merit semifinalist and an AP Rising Scholar. Posa has taken advanced courses in history, psychology, biology, English and calculus.


She is the daughter of Franco and Mary Posa.


Lewisburg resident ElizabethMaeScott has a desire to learn how to fix cars.


Scott, who will major in math and physics at WVU , enjoys understanding how things work and knowing she can help influence them.


I dont like admitting that I have no idea how to fix my truck,Scott wrote in her scholarship application.I dont like standing on the side of the road waiting for someone to come get me, and I dont like it when someone else can just pop the hood, glance at the engine and tell me what is wrong.


Scott will graduate in the top 2 percent of her Greenbrier East High School class. She is a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society. She has also attended the state Governors Honor Academy and is a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship.


She has served as senior class president, chorus member, junior counselor at the High Rocks Academy for Girls, co-captain of the varsity cross country team and as both treasurer and founding member of the Greenbrier County Young Democrats.


Scott has taken advanced courses in biology, English, calculus, government and history.


She is the daughter of James Scott and Deborah Schmidt.


Lindsey Sinclair has already received her first taste of WVU , having taken a sociology course and a psychology course at WVU at Parkersburg.


She has been involved in a wide range of activities, including Wood Countys championship tennis team and its doubles team, honor choir, the West Virginia State Solo and Ensemble Competition Honors Recital for piano, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. She is ranked second in her class of 412.


In the community, she received the Presidential Summit Volunteer Award (Silver Level) for having at least 175 hours of volunteer service.


It was a volunteer effort that will help shape Sinclairs future. She wants to major in music education and performance after spending time with children from McDowell County during a church youth group mission trip.


For eight hours a day, we played with the children and taught them all that we could in the short amount of time we were there,Sinclair wrote in her scholarship application.That week was important to me because I know that my time was well spent. I invested in a childs life. I also discovered something about myselfI realized I wanted to teach music to children. That week changed my life.


At Parkersburg High School, she has taken advanced courses in history, calculus, government, Spanish and English.

She is the daughter of Mark and Amy Sinclair.


Sara Swanson , of Mount Clare, has big dreams of helping to cure diseases.


The Bridgeport High School student will major in engineering at WVU with the long-term goal of being a biomedical engineer.


I am also very interested in regenerating or creating prosthetic organs in order to get those who need them quickly, rather than being placed on a waiting list for months at a time,she wrote in her scholarship application.


As an active member of the National Honor Society, student council, marching band and Key Club, she helped organize many of her high schools events.


Swanson has volunteered at the United Hospital Center in Clarksburg, where she talked to patients and brought them food, and at the Meadowbrook Church of Christ, where she served food to the homeless and visited the sick. She has also tutored her fellow students in a variety of subjects.


Swanson will graduate at the top of her class. She has taken advanced courses in English, psychology and calculus.


She is the daughter of Jeff and Connie Swanson.


Although based in Weirton, Amanda Thorp likes to think globally. Thats why she initiated Rock for Hope, a concert featuring a friends local band that raised more than $1,000 to build a hospital in poverty-stricken Haiti.


I found myself not only the founder of the project but the director as well,Thorp wrote in her scholarship application.Even though it took months of teamwork to execute, I delegated tasks and resolved details like, �€~Where can we get free paint for the stage?Through extensive planning, I learned the importance of using the media, creativity and determination. Much of the concerts success was attributed to just plain elbow grease and perseverance.


Ranked first in her class, Thorp has been active in student council in each of her four years at Weir High School. She is student body secretary and has served as class secretary and class president. She is also a member of the Lady Red Ridersstate runner-up soccer team and the tennis team.


In addition, she is involved in the Chemistry Club, Key Club, Academic Games Foreign Language Club and Environmental Science Club, as well as the Trinity Lutheran Church youth group.


Thorp, an aspiring engineer, has taken advanced courses in chemistry, earth science, calculus and English.


She is the daughter of Ken and Sandy Thorp.


As a leader in Fairmont Senior High Schools chapter of the National Honor Society, Jonathan Turner has long strived to have a positive impact on his community.


Turner, of Fairmont, has assisted in drives for the United Way and Humane Society, rang bells for the Salvation Army and arranged a gift basket for a teacher whose daughter was diagnosed with lymphoma.


The expression on her mothers face was a thing of such gratitudeof such genuine joy,Turner wrote in his scholarship application.I would not trade that experience for anything.


Turner, a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship, got a perfect score on the ACT . He will major in chemistry at WVU .


He has taken advanced courses in English, chemistry, calculus and historyand also two college-level math courses.


During his high school career, Turner has been active on the varsity swim team, Madrigal Chamber Choir, mens chorus, science honorary, student council and Science Bowl team.


He is the son of Tom Turner and Candace Chidester.


David Webb was one of only two students from West Virginia and 69 nationally to achieve a 36 on the ACT the highest possible scoreon his test date.


The senior at Nitro High School has won school awards for best Advanced Placement history student, best chemistry and history student and best Spanish student. Also, he won a national award for program design from DECA , a national association of marketing students.


Webb is an all-star baseball player and plays bass in Nitros concert band, school jazz band and show choir band.


Academically, he is one of 44 in the state to be nominated as a Presidential Scholar. He is a member of the National Honor Society and treasurer for the Mu Alpha Theta national math honorary.


In the community, Webb has delivered boxes of food to needy families on Christmas eve through Tyler Mountain/Cross Lanes Community Services.


He hopes to have a dual major that involves engineering and would like to someday work for Disney Imagineers developing technology for theme park attractions.


Whatever his future, Webb believes his bilingual background will give him an edge in the competitive business world.


The first step in understanding the rest of the world is the ability to communicate with them effectively,he wrote in his scholarship application.Perhaps the biggest disadvantage Americans have exiting college is the fact that most only speak English. Business has now extended to the entire world, and the ability to speak multiple languages is a critical tool.


He is the son of Ken and Tammy Webb.


Sara Willingham , of New Creek, refers to herself as someone who isinnovative and can bring new flair to traditional ideas.


The Keyser High School student, who will soon study business administration at WVU , dreams of someday traveling to China to learn more about international business.


Willingham, who will graduate in the top 3 percent of her class, learned to dream big with the help of one of her high school guidance counselors, Janet Kalbaugh. When Kalbaugh was diagnosed with cancer, Willingham and her classmates dedicated much of their time running fundraisers for Kalbaughs family.


She was a personal role model and someone who pushed me to take challenging courses, study daily and never give up,Willingham wrote in her scholarship application.


Willingham has been active in leadership, academic and extracurricular activities. She served as class president and class treasurer, participated in 4-H, ran track and played in the schools marching, concert and jazz bands. She also worked on the schools yearbook and newspaper.


Willingham was vice president of the Arts and Culture Enrichment Society and a member of the schools business, service, health and anti-tobacco clubs, among others. She also attended the state Governors Honor Academy.


She has taken advanced courses in biology, history, government, English and calculus. She has also taken college-level courses in English, psychology and communications.


She is the daughter of Wayne and Susan Willingham.


As editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper, Chelsea Willis , of Keyser, strived to develop ahigh-quality product with professionalism and stylecharacteristics she plans to apply to her studies as a student at WVU .


Willis will major in accounting and finance at WVU .


At Keyser High School, Willis was active on the varsity soccer and track teams, junior varsity basketball team, student council and Arts and Cultural Enrichment Society.


She has volunteered as a childrens church assistant at Westernport First Assembly of God Church and was an office volunteer at Keyser Presbyterian Church.


The past four summers, Willis also spent much of her time reading to children as an Energy Express volunteer.


I was able to take part in a program that truly does make a difference in the lives of each and every child who participates,Willis wrote in her scholarship application.I never thought I would know how much of an impact I had until one-on-one reading time when the children would fight over who would read with me.


Willis has also participated in the state Governors Honors Academy, Miss Teen of West Virginia program, Mineral County Math Field Day, National Honor Society and a science fair.


She has taken advanced courses in English, history and government, along with several college courses in English, math, psychology and communications.


She is the daughter of Jeannie and Jerry Willis.