By: Hannah Stoughton

Feb 9th, 2022: The five winners of the Presidential Scholarship competition hosted by Thiel College for the 2022 year have been announced.

Each year, Thiel College hosts a series of scholarship competitions in which potential incoming freshmen are able to compete for a chance to win a full-tuition scholarship.

The first winner of the full-tuition scholarship is Toby Atwood, a senior at Armstrong High School in Kittanning, PA, and daughter of Joe and Brandi Atwood. She was awarded the $141,000 scholarship at a surprise presentation at her high school on Jan. 10th, 2022. Her plans are to major in Early Childhood/Special Education and Spanish. Atwood has been involved in a multitude of activities during high school, including tennis, wrestling, coaching youth wrestling, Spanish club, student council, and National Honor Society.

The next winner, a senior at West Geauga High School in Chesterland, Ohio was awarded the second of five scholarships. Alexis Brown was surprised in front of her peers, bandmates, faculty, and family during a presentation. She plans to major in political science and pre-law and is interested in continuing her musical career with the Thiel Band as a clarinet player. Brown is a member of the National Honor Society, student council, interact club and the Asian culture club at West Geauga.

Following Atwood and Brown, James Cromwell-Young from Virginia Beach, VA received one of the scholarships via a surprise zoom call on Jan. 12th, 2022. He plans to major in psychology and is an active member in various clubs and sports. He is a member of the Virginia Flames track team and plays volleyball for Green Run High School as well as various club teams. He is an honor roll and principal’s list student as well as an accomplished athlete with gold medals and awards in his athletics. He is also a peer tutor, mentor, and participates in the 100 Strong Black Men of Hampton Roads. He holds a treasurer position Young Ladies/young Men program in Virginia Beach. Cromwell-Young plans to continue his volleyball career at Thiel.

On the same day as Cromwell-Young, a senior from Dayton Ohio was given the award at a presentation on Jan. 12th, 2022. Nevaeh Haskins, a senior and daughter of alum Samona (Douglas) Haskins ’00, was surprised at her high school with the award. “I am very, very thankful that I can go and get an education at such an amazing school,” she said during an interview for the Thiel Newsroom. “I am looking forward to growing into the best version of

myself.” Haskins plans on majoring in nursing and is a member of her school’s marching band, where she is drum major and marched in the 2021 Macy’s Day Parade. She also serves as a mentor to ninth-grade students at her school.

The final scholarship was awarded to Fort Cherry senior Jordan Wilhoit on Jan. 20th, 2022, during a presentation at his high school. Wilhoit, from McDonald, PA, completes the five scholarship winners of the full-tuition scholarship. He plans to study biochemistry at Thiel and was active in his choir and encore programs. He is part of his foreign language club as well as the yearbook and is a volunteer at a local library. Jordan is the son of Brian Wilhoit.

Each of the contestants competed in the Presidential Scholarship competition in late 2021.

Image Credit: AP PHOTO/Gene J. Puskar