The Dawn Marie Wilbourn Memorial Scholarship
Edgar Wilbourn, a Rotarian from the Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary Club established this annual memorial scholarship in honor of his daughter Dawn following her death in an automobile accident back in 1993. The student selection is based on academic merit, excellence, and potential. To be eligible for this memorial scholarship the student must achieve a minimum B grade average, perform community service, and participate in school extracurricular activities such as school newspaper, sports, choir, or band.
Dawn was a senior at the Stonewall Jackson High School at the age of 16 when the fatal car accident occurred on a cold misty winter day back on January 11, 1993. During her high school years she played volleyball, basketball, and ran track. She was also the class Vice-President during her freshmen and sophomore years. Dawn was an honor student who was able to skip her junior year and advanced right to senior year through the recommendations from her teachers. In her senior year she was taking Advance Placement (AP) courses.
This annual scholarship was given each year to a deserving student at the Stonewall Jackson High School starting in 1993. It was later moved to the new Battlefield High School in 2003.
George Layne from the Gainesville-Haymarket Rotary Club presented the 2011 Dawn Marie Wilbourn Memorial Scholarship to Peri Lowell, a senior at the Battlefield High School in Haymarket, Virginia. According to School Counselor Tiffany Kaufman who provided a letter of recommendation for Peri Powell, "Peri has a maturity and insight that is well beyond her high school years." Congratulations to Peri.
