AAUW Coastal-Georgetown awards record $25,000 in scholarships

AAUW Coastal-Georgetown branch will recognize its scholarship recipients during a luncheon ceremony at 11 a.m., Friday, May 31, at The Peninsula in Millsboro.

This year, AAUW-CG awarded 10 $2,500 scholarships, its highest amount ever. All scholarship recipients qualified through solid academic records and proven leadership with a strong resume of community service.

Seven of the scholarships, all awarded to Sussex County high school senior women, are named for Marty Johnson, a long-standing member who left AAUW-CG a generous bequest last year.

Sussex Academy student recipients are Sienna Tunnell, whose exemplary and thoughtful volunteer work makes her a standout student; Sage Tunnell, who channeled memories of her early childhood illness into creating a club that makes blankets for hospitalized children; and Lily Bowe, whose impassioned essay linked her childhood along the Nanticoke River with a desire to help disadvantaged kids learn science.

The Sussex Technical High School honoree is Morgan Lowe, who logged an impressive 200 hours of community service and has a thing for exotic pets.

Indian River High School students receiving scholarships are Heather Smyth, notable for her accelerated coursework and athletic leadership; and Riley Hurd, whose extensively researched essay suggested the creation of a nonprofit group to promote education for single mothers.

The Cape Henlopen High School student recipient is Amelia Bickel, whose strong leadership as drum major and ability as a dancer won over the committee.

Among other scholarship winners, Isabell Wisniewski of Indian River High School earned the Virginia Rust Scholarship for Future Educators, named after the founder of AAUW Coastal-Georgetown. Wisniewski has been very involved in the music programs at her school and is looking forward to a career in education.

Rhianna Norwood of Cape Henlopen High School will receive the Pathways to Success Scholarship. Norwood joined the Army National Guard in her junior year and is looking forward to continuing her training while attending college.

The Delaware Tech Heather Ann Worrall Scholarship, awarded annually to a Delaware Technical Community College student to further their education, went to Danielle Hudson of Laurel. After graduating from DTCC in 2019 with an associate’s degree, she returned in 2023 to get her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Hudson, a former Indian River School District paraprofessional, intends to pursue a doctoral degree in elementary education and a career working with special needs children. The scholarship is in memory of Heather Ann Worrall, the daughter of an AAUW member.

AAUW-CG members expect great things from all 10 of these young women.

For more information about AAUW-CG, visit georgetown-de.aauw.net or contact Branch President Glenda Risch at grisch53@gmail.com.