For Release: Upon Receipt Chris Lang Virginia State Golf Association Website: vsga.org Email: [email protected] April 29, 2021 VSGA-VIP SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION TO DISTRIBUTE $91,500 TO 31 AWARD RECIPIENTS Link to 2021 Recipient Recognition Page on VSGA.org MIDLOTHIAN — Twenty-eight high-school seniors and three graduate students in the turfgrass research program at Virginia Tech were among 31 scholars honored as the VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation announced its 2021 award recipients. The Foundation provides grants and gifts for scholarships, scientific and educational research, and other charitable purposes. This year’s grants total $91,500 and since being launched, the program has distributed nearly $2.6 million to 1,054 students. “It is with great pleasure that we recognize some of the best and brightest students from throughout the Commonwealth,” VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation president Michael Millen said. “Although the size of this year’s applicant pool was a bit smaller than normal, the overall quality of the group was very strong. We proudly congratulate this year’s 31 award recipients and thank all our participating clubs and VIP cardholders for their generous support in 2020.” Funding for scholarships is generated primarily from the sale of the VSGA VIP Golf Card, and Virginia high school seniors with an interest in golf are eligible to apply. Students are evaluated based on academic achievement, character, community involvement and an essay on the impact of golf on the applicant’s life. For the second straight year, award recipients are being honored virtually as no in-person VSGA Day was scheduled for 2021 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. At the top of this release, you’ll find a link to a VSGA.org page recognizing the students. 2021 grants include the 21st C. Dan Keffer Award, which goes to an individual in honor of the former VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation Committee Chairman. This year’s recipient was Ashburn’s Jonah Han, who attends Independence High School. Other 2021 grants include the Spencer-Wilkinson award, which draws from a fund formed by Debbie Spencer and Mary Nell Wilkinson. Since its formation more than 20 years ago, 55 young women have received Spencer-Wilkinson scholarships. This year’s award went to Albemarle High School’s Mia Liang. The Red Speigle Award, named in honor of the late longtime teaching professional from the Peninsula area, was given to Portsmouth’s Matthew McEwen, who attends Churchland High School. The David A. King Award, which the senior amateur golfer established in 2002, went to Kaushal Kambham of Centreville, who attends Chantilly High School. The Richard Smith Award, given in remembrance of the VSGA’s longtime director of championships and supporter of junior golf, went to Quint Dingledine of Richmond, who attends Monacan High School. 2021 VSGA-VIP SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION AWARD RECIPIENTS Jonah Han (Ashburn/Independence HS) — $7,000 including the C. Dan Keffer Award • Class rank: 2 of 257 | GPA: 4.64 • Golf Involvement: Golf team: captain junior year, MVP sophomore year; All-County honorable mention • Extracurricular Activities: Viola: Artist level orchestra, 1st chair violist; All-Country Orchestra; National Honor Society; Independent Science Research; Patent Development and Submission (individually filed a US Patent for an invention idea in sophomore year); Quantum Computing C • Volunteer Activities: Christian Youth Group - volunteer for church community outreach events; Trained and volunteered for mission trip to Dominion Republic • Honors/Awards: 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalist; Honor Roll; Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institute (2019); Young Entrepreneurs Academy (2017-18) - Runner-Up for small-business competition for creating and developing a child-safety tracking device • Academic Interests: NanoTechnology/NanoEngineering, Materials Science and Engineering/Materials Engineering, Quantum Mechanics/Artificial Intelligence • College: University of California, Berkeley • VSGA Member: VSGA Junior Golf Circuit Mia Liang (Charlottesville/Albemarle HS) — $7,000, including the Spencer-Wilkinson Award • GPA: 4.72 • Golf Involvement: Golf team, past member of VSGA Junior Golf Circuit • Extracurricular Activities: Program in Algorithmic and Combinatorial Thinking; Varsity Crew; Key Club; Piano. • Work Experience: Intern, SmileEyes; Founder, small business selling artwork with a portion of proceeds donated to Black Lives Matter organization • Volunteer Activities: Key Club • Honors/Awards: National AP Scholar with Distinction; 2nd Place Piedmont Regional Science Fair; Scholastic Art and Writing Gold Key Recipient; Congressional Art Competition Winner; National Honor Society; National Honor Society for: English, Science, French, Art and Math • Academic Interests: Math, Art • College: MIT Kaushal Kambham (Centreville/Chantilly HS) — $5,000, including the David A. King Award • GPA: 4.40 • Golf Involvement: Golf Team – Captain; past member VSGA Junior Golf Circuit • Extracurricular Activities: Investment Club - President; Indoor Drumline; Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars; Federal Economics Challenge Team; Distributive Education Club of America (Finance); Astronomy Club • Volunteer Activities: Chantilly Writing Center Tutor; Physics and Engineering Club Tutor • Honors/Awards: National Honor Society; Exploravision Honorable Mention; National AP Scholar; AP Scholar with Distinction • Academic Interests: Business (Finance), Economics, Physics, Engineering • Potential Colleges: Univ of Virginia, Virginia Tech, William & Mary, Univ of Pennsylvania, Univ of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon Univ, Univ of California LA, Univ of California Berkeley, Georgetown Univ Matthew McEwen (Portsmouth/Churchland HS) — $5,000, including the Red Speigle Award • Class Rank: 1 of 352 | GPA: 4.48 • Golf Involvement: Golf Team; VSGA and other competitive golf • Extracurricular Activities: Baseball; Swimming; Class President; Prom Committee; Advanced Orchestra; Modeling & Simulation Club; SCA; Homecoming Court; Bible Study Club • Volunteer Activities: Summer Junior Golf Camps, The Links at City Park; YMCA Youth Basketball Coach; CES Santa Breakfast; CLL Tryouts & Field Work; Regional Chorus; STEM Day; Jackson Memorial Youth Group; worked as a cart boy at Bide-A-Wee GC • Honors/Awards: National Honor Society; National Social Studies Honor Society; National English Honor Society; Virginian Pilot Scholastic Team; AP Scholar with Distinction; Principal's List; Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Award; "A" Honor Roll; Boys' State; Tri-M Music Ho • Academic Interests: Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics • College: University of Virginia • VSGA Member: Bide-A-Wee GC, VSGA Junior Golf Circuit Quint Dingledine (Richmond/Monacan HS) — $5,000, including the Richard Smith Award • Class Rank: 25 of 331 | GPA: 4.60 • Golf Involvement: Golf team; MVP all four years of HS; VHSL All Region (2018 & 20); VHSL All State (2020); All Richmond Metro Golf (2020); Helps father coach local PGA Jr. team • Extracurricular Activities: Recreational sports • Volunteer Activities: AJGA Leadership Links (2019) - provides competitive junior golfers with the framework and tools to raise money for a charitable cause (selected to support Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation - raised over $3,500); The Doorways Meal Crew (2018) • Honors/Awards: Distinguished Honor Roll (all As; 2018-20); Monacan High School Scholar Athlete (2018-20) • Academic Interests: Engineering or Economics • College: Lafayette College • VSGA Member: Stonehenge Golf & Country Club, VSGA Junior Golf Circuit Tess Petersen (Toano/Banner Christian School) — $5,000 • Class Rank: 1 of 24 | GPA: 4.41 • Golf Involvement: Golf Team • Extracurricular Activities: Piano; Private Pilot Flight Training; Sorenson Institute of High School Leaders; Student Body President; BLAST STEM Conference at ODU; Governor's School Math Science Innovation Center; High School Leadership Team; Health Career Explorers Club at VCU Medic • Volunteer Activities: R.F. Wilkinson YMCA Leaders' Club - VP; Junior Volunteer Sentara Hospital Williamsburg; Chick-fil-A Academy; Richmond Fisher House; English, Math, Spanish Tutor; Bible Buddies • Honors/Awards: Private Pilot's License; National Honor Society; Honors Performing Arts Team; Williamsburg Aviation Scholarship Program Winner; Chad Weaver Aviation Scholarship Winner; Sorenson Institute High School Leaders Program; National Poetry Publications; AP Scholar • Academic Interests: Aeronautics • Potential Colleges: Washington & Lee, Virginia Tech, Christopher Newport Univ, Randolph- Macon, Univ of Richmond, Liberty Univ • VSGA Member: VISAA Chas Funk (Virginia Beach/Ocean Lakes HS) — $4,000 • Class Rank: 5 of 470 | GPA: 4.54 • Golf Involvement: Golf Team • Extracurricular Activities: Ping Pong Club; Junior Classical League; KidWind; Latin Convention; OLHS Leadership Workshop; SCA General Assembly; Ocean Lakes Spikeball Club; Chemistry Club; Work Experience: Soccer Referee; Caddie, Princess Anne CC; Outside Operations, Signature Golf Club • Volunteer Activities: Food Bank; Standard Bearer at LPGA Kingsmill; Standard Bearer at PGA Dominion Energy Charity Classic; Special Olympics; SPCA; Roc Solid Foundation Playground Build; Scott Taylor 2020 Congressional Campaign • Honors/Awards: Dedicated Dolphin (AP Latin, Health and Physical Education, AP Chemistry); KidWind HS Eastern VA 1st Place; KidWind National HS Rookie of the Year; KidWind HS Eastern VA 2nd Place; Principal's List; Silver Presidential Volunteer Service Award; National