Warren and Betty Burnside believed in empowering education for future generations.
Founded in 1991, the Warren and Betty Burnside Foundation has granted scholarships to deserving Harrison County, W.Va. students, many of whom choose to attend West Virginia University.
Scholarship grants made to the WVU Foundation totaling nearly $365,000 have helped hundreds of young men and women from Harrison County attend WVU.
The Burnside Foundation is a permanent asset of Harrison County and was initially established by Warren Burnside’s investments in real estate and the oil and gas industry.
Nancy Lucante, office manager of the Warren and Betty Burnside Foundation, said Warren and Betty Burnside’s desire was to reward Harrison County children through the power of education.
“I have been here for five years and I am so proud to be a part of a foundation giving back to our children,” Lucante said. “Warren and Betty Burnside did not have any children of their own, so this foundation was created with the sole purpose of giving back to Harrison County and each year with an increase in number.”
Granted charitable status in May 1992, the Warren and Betty Burnside Foundation, Inc. has awarded over 2,000 scholarships totaling more than $3 million. In 2014, the Foundation awarded 121 scholarships in the amount of $2,500 per recipient.
An eight-member selection committee of educational professionals and guidance counselors from within Harrison County choose the recipients. The selection committee has established strict guidelines that are followed in choosing eligible applicants.
The Warren and Betty Burnside Scholarship recipients must be enrolled as full time students and be in good academic standing at their college or university. The scholarships are renewable for up to four years.
Lucante says there is a meaningful satisfaction behind the 23-year Burnside legacy.
“It is truly very rewarding to see the joy in the eyes of the students knowing we are going to make a difference in their lives,” Lucante said.
To learn more about the Warren and Betty Burnside Foundation Scholarship, contact 304-623-3668 or visit www.burnsidefoundation.org.
Scholarship grants from the Warren and Betty Burnside Foundation are made in conjunction with A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University. The $750 million comprehensive campaign being conducted by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2015.
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