Ashby Ponds Honors Student Scholars Class of 2021
June 2, 2021
Ashby Ponds honored the 40-member Student Scholars Class of 2021 during its Annual Award Ceremony on May 25. The employees, members of the Dining Services Department, earned four-year collegiate scholarships in the amount of $8,000.
More than $200,000 was raised during the 2021 campaign, funded primarily through resident contributions and pledges, according to Elisabeth Longworth, Philanthropy Manager for the Erickson Senior Living developed and managed retirement community.
“We are proud that this year represents our largest class of scholars ever,” stated Mrs. Longworth. “They attend nine different high schools in Loudoun County and will enroll in a variety of colleges in Virginia and the rest of the country. Through their smiling faces and attention to detail, they make dining in our community’s restaurants a daily pleasure.”
Mrs. Longworth notes that “we achieved our objective of increasing the amount of scholarship money raised this year. We would like to thank our residents for their generous spirit in making this worthwhile goal a reality.”
Additionally, Ashby Ponds presented one-year collegiate and certificate scholarships in the amount of $2,000 ($1,000 per semester) to 18 adult students who work at the community. 2021 marked the first year of this program; these scholarships for adult learners are renewable up to six times.
The community also debuted the Laura Michak Scholarship in which five dining services students received an additional $10,000 each and four student scholars who are children of Ashby Ponds employees will receive an additional $4,000 each.
All told, Ashby Ponds awarded more than $415,000 in scholarships in 2021.
A resident-comprised Philanthropy Committee provided valuable guidance and support for the fundraising campaign conducted during the spring. The highlight was the Scholars Variety Show held live on April 27-28 that featured student performances in the community’s Great Oaks Performing Arts Theater. The recipients sang, danced, recited poetry, played musical instruments and read letters of appreciation to the residents in attendance.
For more information about the scholarship program, as well as other benefits of employment with Ashby Ponds such as tuition reimbursement, please call 703-723-1999 or visit https://www.ericksonseniorliving.com/careers.