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Bill Burch Scholarship Presented to Two Local Graduates

Bill Burch Scholarship Presented to Two Local Graduates

Sasha Bush

The Ashland Beacon




On Tuesday, July 23, two recent high school graduates were presented with the honor of being name recipients of the Bill Burch Scholarship. The scholarship began many years ago when the Ashland Breakfast Kiwanis Club decided that they wanted to find a way to give back to area youth. 

   Bill Burch, who the scholarship is lovingly named after, shared that, “We started sponsoring the local Key Clubs many years ago. Jay Hutchinson and others from the Kiwanis committee decided that we should start a scholarship. So, we decided that we were going to do one for Boyd County High School and Rose Hill Christian School. Jay (Hutchinson) thought that since I was the last charter member of the Kiwanis Club that the scholarship should be named after me. Of course this was quite an honor for me.” 

   Burch has been a member of the Ashland Breakfast Kiwanis Club since 1974. Through the years, he has volunteered countless hours to our community and devoted so much time to our local schools. “I’ve been in education for about 60 years. I was a teacher, a principal, and an office person. I’ve been blessed with that. I have had the pleasure to be in this club (Kiwanis Club) for 50 years and I feel very fortunate to have been able to help so many students along the way.” Burch Shared. 

   Every year, the Ashland Breakfast Kiwanis Club carefully combs through the applicants for the Bill Burch Scholarship and award it to those who stand out and have made a difference in the community. One great way to make sure that every student stands out is to have them complete a senior project. Burch explained that the senior project should identify a need within the community and then come up with a way to solve it. This is also a great way to foster a sense of community and can set a student’s college applications apart from others. 

   The Bill Burch Scholarship is an annual scholarship for $500. Once the recipients know where they will go to college the scholarship is sent directly there on the recipients’ behalf. This year, Reagan Vippermann, a graduate of Boyd County High School’s class of 2024 and Isabel Hensley, a graduate of Rose Hill Christian School’s class of 2024 were chosen as the recipients. 

   Vipperman will be attending Marshall University in the fall and will pursue a degree in Bio-Medical Engineering. “I know that this was a very competitive award to win because of how many applicants there were, so it’s a real honor to be one of this year’s students to receive it. Winning this award really means a lot to me because I know that I worked really hard and it’s nice to see that my hard work paid off,” Vipperman shared. 

   Rose Hill Christian School’s Isabel Hensley was equally excited to have earned this award. Hensley shared, “I have been a part of Key Club for many years so I have seen the type of impact that this club can have on my life, my school, and my community. So, to know that I helped play a small part in helping others really means a lot. Mr. Burch has been such a great mentor to me for so many years. So, receiving a scholarship in his name is a big honor for me.” Hensley will be attending Liberty University in the fall and will pursue a degree in Bio-Medical Sciences. 

   For more information on the scholarship, how to apply, or how to get involved with the Kiwanis or Key Clubs, contact the club at 606.232.7485.

 

 

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P.O. BOX 25

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The Ashland Beacon’s owners, Philip and Lora Stewart, Kimberly Smith, and Jason Smith, established The Greater Ashland Beacon in 2011 and over the years the Beacon has grown into what you see now… a feel-good, weekly newspaper that brings high quality news about local events, youth sports, and inspiring people that are important to you. The Greater Ashland Beacon prides itself in maintaining a close relationship with the community and love nothing more than to see businesses, youth, and civic organizations in the surrounding areas of Boyd and Greenup counties thrive. 

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