VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Paying for college just became a little more manageable for a group of students in Hampton Roads.
ACCESS College Foundation awarded $1.2 million to 155 students at the Scholarship Awards Luncheon on Thursday, according to a news release. The last-dollar scholarships ranged from $5,000 to $129,000.
"This event is a culmination of all the hard work these students have put in throughout their high school careers," Bonnie Sutton, the president and CEO of ACCESS College Foundation, wrote. "We know they will each go on to do great things, and we are proud to have been a part of their journey."
The ceremony featured keynote remarks from Ashley Jones, the founder of the HBCU athleisure brand Tones of Melanin. Jones graduated from Tallwood High School and Norfolk State University.
"College won't be easy, but it will be one of the most fulfilling things you will accomplish. Live in the moment and find balance," Jones said.
Jones shared her own entrepreneurial journey and warns of wisdom with the graduating seniors. She warned that although hard times might come around, "adversity is a stairwell to your destiny."
Several different scholarships were awarded. One of them was the Robert H. Wells and Janice G. Wells Myers-Lawson School of Construction Scholarship.
That scholarship covers tuition, fees, room, board and books for four years at Virginia Tech, according to the release. It was awarded to Brody Sorenson, a Maury High School graduate who plans to major in construction engineering management at the university.
Earlier this month, the first round of scholarships was awarded as part of an annual celebration. On June 7 and 8, ACCESS awarded five $25,000 scholarships to students in the annual Scholarship Caravan.
Those recipients came from high schools across Hampton Roads.
Since 1988, ACCESS has helped more than 80,000 students from low-income families enroll in a certification or degree program. The foundation has awarded more than $15 million in last-dollar scholarships to students.