This Fall 2026, Walker College Foundation (WCF) awarded more than $320,000 in scholarship funds to students in and around Walker County. These funds support 58 students with college tuition scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year.
The majority of WCF’s scholarship funds are presented to students who attend the Walker College Campus of Bevill State Community College in Jasper. The students attending Bevill State are members of the WCF Scholars’ Society and include 46 scholarship recipients for the 2026-27 academic year. They are enrolled in academic transfer, health science, and career technical education degree programs.
For the 2026-27 academic year, Walker College Foundation’s Scholars Society members include New scholars: Troy Bailey, Haley Baker, Jaxcen Bijolle, Adyson Brown, Lily Clark, Cayleigh Cole, Brody Garrett, Madison Gilreath, Maria Guico-Chivalan, Madalyn Hogland, Caleb Kilpatrick, Jenna Laye, Annah Lyons, Kyrsten Manley, Caleb Meeks, Noah Noles, Rumalda Yisel Paxtor, Caiden Shanklin, Harper Smith, Stone Talley, Kristian Tesevic, Jordan Thomas. Returning scholars: Charlie Arias, Jillian Brown, Molly Kate Burns, Brinlee Clark, Michael Cooper, Alyssa Dover, Haley Files, David Frost, Madison Frost, Addison Gibbons, Malorie Hagood, Emily Hoobler, Brentley Jackson, Rusty McDonald, Brayden Naramore, Brodie O’Rear, Emileah Reich, Mason Scruggs, RyLee Self, Adriana Solis, Brody Teeter, Ella Kate Teeter, Taylor Threlkeld, Yaneli Vieyra.
Scholarship awards for students in the WCF Scholars’ Society include more than financial support. These scholarships, valued at $14,000 for a two-year scholarship, include monthly lunches, access to tutoring, and training in soft skills that will help them with future employment. WCF scholars who enter the Associate Degree Nursing program in their first year at Bevill State are also provided an extended scholarship, valued at $16,000, to cover the coursework needed to earn a nursing degree.
For Scholars’ Society members who graduate with an associate degree from Bevill State and choose to continue their college education at a four-year college, WCF provides one-time transfer scholarships. These scholarships help with the start of their junior year at the four-year college or university of their choice. Meleigha Mauldin, Brittan Sandlin, Noelle Hogue, Jeremy Thomas, and Aileen Dang were awarded transfer scholarships for Fall 2026.
Walker College Foundation also works with Drummond Company, Inc. to provide scholarships to high school seniors for any college the recipient chooses to attend. For the 2026-27 academic year, five students are supported by Drummond Company scholarship funds managed by Walker College Foundation. The Drummond Company $5,000 Scholarship was awarded to Peyton Weaver and Ayden Allred. The Drummond Company/ABC Coke Scholarship for Tarrant High School is supporting Wendy Wu, Jacobo Hernandez, and Jadon Kenebrew.
Walker College Foundation was established in 1994 through the leadership of Dr. David Rowland. His tireless efforts to bring higher education to students and families in Walker County resulted in a Walker College Foundation endowment currently valued at over $21 million. Along with the endowed scholarship funds managed by Walker College Foundation are many annual scholarships provided by individuals, families, and businesses in our community. Walker College Foundation’s donors are changing lives and strengthening the economic ties that bind this community together by providing access to higher education for our community’s residents.
In a recent education study, scholarships emerged as the strongest predictor of student persistence and timely graduation. Once a student graduates with a two-year, four-year, or technical degree beyond high school, doors open to higher paying jobs so individuals can provide better financial support for their families, make better health and welfare decisions, and give back to the community that has supported them.
Walker College Foundation’s General Scholarship application for the 2027-28 academic year will open online in November 2026 at www.wcfdn.org. The deadline to apply will be March 31, 2027 and students must complete the FAFSA before applying. For more information about scholarships, scholarship funds, and the Walker College Foundation scholarship program, contact Holly Trawick at 205-310-3189 or htrawick@wcfdn.org. WL
