On Monday, June 26, Mr. Carlyle Wimbish, Danville Community College Advisory Board member and past board chair, received a touching, heartfelt surprise from his two sons, Randy and Robert, with a little help from the Danville Community College Educational Foundation.
At the Danville Community College Advisory Board meeting, which took place at the Regional Center for Advanced Technology and Training (RCATT), Wimbish learned of a newly established endowed scholarship named for his late wife, Jo Wimbish, who passed away on April 23, 2023. To make the surprise even more memorable, Wimbish was shocked as his two sons, who traveled from Knoxville, TN and Richmond, VA respectively, walked into the room as the endowed scholarship was being announced.
“After Ms. Wimbish passed away recently, I wanted to do something to honor her memory and her passion for education,” said Shannon Hair, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Development and Executive Director of the DCC Educational Foundation. “I reached out to Randy Wimbish suggesting a new scholarship be created and after he spoke with Robert, they graciously agreed to fund the scholarship endowment in memory of their late mother. Presenting the newly endowed scholarship as a surprise was important to Mr. Wimbish’s sons as they wanted to be in-person to bring this special moment to life for their father.”
Jo Wimbish enjoyed a 37-year career as a teacher, the majority of which was spent teaching kindergarten at South of Dan Elementary. During her career, she taught multiple generations of the same families and served as a mentor to numerous young teachers. Following her retirement, she was a regular volunteer at South of Dan. Many of her former students who went on to careers in healthcare served as caregivers during Jo’s final illness.
“This scholarship is something that Jo would have been very proud of,” said Carlyle Wimbish. “It is wonderful to be able to honor her memory with such a fitting tribute.”
The Jo Wimbish Memorial Scholarship is intended to benefit one incoming freshman or returning sophomore attending Danville Community College from Halifax County, Virginia enrolling in Liberal Arts or Nursing.
The basis of selection will be scholastic achievement, financial need, and good citizenship. In order to receive the scholarship, the student must have a final high school GPA of 2.5 or have maintained a minimum GPA of 2.5 while attending DCC. Recipients are eligible to reapply for successive years.
In order to be eligible, the recipient must meet the following criteria:
• Enrolled at DCC, either as a part-time or full-time student in Liberal Arts or Nursing
• Either an incoming Freshman or returning Sophomore
• Maintains a 2.5 GPA or better
• Demonstrates financial need
For more information about Danville Community College, or to explore our full list of scholarships, visit danville.edu.
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