ISSUED: 12 January 2015
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Two Shepherd University students were named the 2014-15 recipients of the annual Berkeley Community Award Scholarship.
Funded by the Berkeley Community Pride, Inc., the $500 awards were given to senior students Christine Lepine of Shepherdstown, and Shelby Knepper of Hedgesville, who are both participating in community and/or campus service and maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.5 in their major studies.
“I appreciate [the Berkeley Community Pride Scholarship] as it has helped me graduate debt-free from Shepherd this spring,” said Knepper. “It means a lot to be chosen for this award, and I hope to one day be able to pay it forward by creating my own scholarship at Shepherd.”
“Awards such as this one have a huge impact on students,” said Lepine, who will also graduate this spring. “Graduating without debt means graduate school is a possibility for me, as well as job opportunities that will allow me to continue my education.”
Berkeley Community Pride is a nonprofit organization established in 2004 with the goal of keeping Berkeley County’s countryside free of litter and educating future generations. In 2009, the civic-minded organization established the Berkeley Community Pride Scholarship through the Shepherd University Foundation, choosing to inspire by example the very students it seeks to aid by funding two $500 scholarship awards for students majoring in environmental studies. The application process for this award includes a written essay in which students are asked to describe their community service work and how the scholarship will benefit them.
In addition to funding the Berkeley Community Pride Scholarship, the organization awards seven scholarships for area youth to attend the Audubon Discovery Camp and helps judge and award environmental projects at the annual Berkeley County Public Schools science fair. The group also bestows an annual Green Award to a local business, individual, or organization. Since 2005, the organization has recycled 325.5 tons of paper and cardboard, resulting in the conservation of 5,533 trees, 123,690 gallons of oil, 2.3 million gallons of water, 1.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity, and 1,074 cubic yards of landfill space.
Visit Berkeley Community Pride at www.bcpwv.org to learn how to contribute to the Berkeley Community Pride Scholarship. To establish your own named fund through the Shepherd University Foundation, please contact Monica Lingenfelter, Shepherd University Foundation, P.O. Box 5000, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443-5000, 304-876-5397, mlingenf@shepherd.edu, or visit the Foundation online at www.shepherduniversityfoundation.org.
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