From left, Don Camarata, Reworld; Michael Murphy, Mount Vernon Knights of Columbus; Tammy Call, NMUSA; Roberta Tinch, Inova Health Systems; Victoria Cremer, Bishop Ireton High School; Jack Garlock, Bishop Ireton High School; Conner Crowley, Mount Vernon High School; JP Ogden, West Springfield High School; Caitlin Luu, Lake Braddock Secondary School; Abi Little, Thomas Jefferson High School; Sydney Wong, Hayfield Secondary School; Sean Cousins, South County High School; Nairi Maish, West Potomac High School; George Ksenics, Andrews Federal Credit Union; Willa Bowers, West Potomac High School; Alex Thalacker, Fairfax County EDA; Ibrahim Zamir, Annandale High School; General Burt Thompson, NMUSA; Tyler Pinkney, Thomas Edison High School.
Photo courtesy of Steve Halperson/Tisara Photography
Fourteen scholarships were awarded to local high school students by Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce to recognize the outstanding achievement of graduating seniors planning to continue their education in a business-related field.
The Chamber’s 2024 Distinguished Business Scholars are Ibrahim Zamir, Annandale High School; Jack Garlock, Bishop Ireton High School; Victoria Cremer, Bishop Ireton High School; Tyler Pinkney, Edison High School; Sydney Wong, Hayfield Secondary School; Caitlin Luu, Lake Braddock High School; Michael Banks, Lewis High School; Conner Crowley, Mount Vernon High School; Kathleen Higgins, South County High School; Sean Cousins, South County High School; Abi Little, Thomas Jefferson High School; Willa Bowers, West Potomac High School; Nairi Masih, West Potomac High School; John Ogden, West Springfield High School.
The scholarships were presented Thursday evening at a special reception hosted by the Army Historical Foundation at the National Museum of the United States Army.
“The scholarships presented this evening not only allow these students to continue their education, but they also provide them with a framework to perhaps come back someday and make a lasting impact on our own community,” said Alex Thalacker, chair of the Chamber’s Education Partnership. “That is the true reward behind the Chamber’s work.”
“The Chamber selects as least one scholarship recipient from each of the high schools in our service area,” said Holly Dougherty, president of the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce. “We were all inspired by these students and their goals. They have the potential to really contribute and become a positive influence in the community.”
Scholarships are made possible by the generous donations of local businesses and by funds raised at the annual Chamber Golf Classic. Businesses that provided complete scholarships are Reworld (formerly known as Covanta Fairfax Inc.), Ourisman Automotive dealerships, CDI Inc., Palo Alto Networks, Mount Vernon Knights of Columbus and Cisco.
This continues the Chamber's annual tradition of providing scholarships to students planning to study business. The Chamber has awarded scholarships for more than 20 years and this year’s scholarships totaling $28,000 brings the Chamber's cumulative scholarship giving to more than $332,000.