Higher Education Scholarships

The Rotary Club of Leesburg, through the Perry Winston Scholarship Fund, annually awards scholarships to high school seniors who have been accepted to an accredited college/university or community college. In 2024, we will award up to three (3) $15,000 scholarships distributed over 4 years. All scholarship awards are paid directly to the award recipient’s college/university or community college. Students must remain in good standing with the academic institution they are enrolled at.
 
QUALIFICATIONS to receive scholarship:
  • Graduating seniors from Loudoun County High School, Tuscarora High School and Heritage High School, who have been enrolled for at least two years
  • Financial need
  • Quality of the essay, and how it conveys your demonstrated community service and service to others, past, present and projected in the future
  • Academic achievement and receipt of transcript
  • Willingness to participate in a personal interview, if selected as one of the finalists
 

Graduating MATA Students Scholarships

The Rotary Club of Leesburg, through the Perry Winston Scholarship Fund, also awards $10,000 in scholarship to up to four (4) graduating MATA students. These scholarships will be paid directly to the awardee for continuing education or for specific purchases of equipment, tools, computers, software programs, licensing or lab fees or other similar need.

CRITERIA to be eligible to a MATA Scholarship

  • Be a graduating senior from Loudoun County High School, Tuscarora High School or Heritage High School.
  • Be enrolled in a MATA program.
  • Demonstrate a financial need.
  • Submit a completed application (see back) for instructions.
  • Include a recommendation letter from you main MATA teacher
 

History of the Perry Winston Scholarship Fund

The story of our scholarship starts with Mr. Perry Winston, a Rotarian and prominent Leesburg banker who was instrumental in starting several other significant scholarship programs including the largest scholarship in Loudoun County, the Hess Scholarship, and the Marian Simpson Scholarship created in honor of the wife of J. Lupton Simpson, of whom a Leesburg Middle School was named.
 
At a Rotary dinner meeting, Perry Winston, Joe Kelly, Cliff Bullard and Jim Dennison, incoming president, discussed the scholarship needs. Cliff Bullard suggested that it would be beneficial to have Rotary sponsor a scholarship. The group agreed to meet in the board room at the Peoples National Bank to discuss its startup. In 1985, at Perry's request the Rotary Board approved the Leesburg Rotary Scholarship Fund. This was chartered in December 1985, and on December 31, 1985 the fund was officially incorporated by the State Corporation Commission. The original intent was to create an endowment large enough to fund the scholarships from the earnings off the principal.
 
Original funding was contributed by Perry Winston and two anonymous Rotarians. Through the years, other generous Rotarians, such as Ellen Wall, past owner of the Laurel Brigade Inn, contributed to growing our principal. Upon her death, Ellen made a large bequest to the fund that has helped us in providing many scholarships to future students.
 
The first president of the Scholarship Fund was Jim Dennison and officers were Dean Worcester, George Roberson, Tom Horne, and Paul Smith. The first two recipients were Gary Caton and Tonya Stevens, both from Loudoun County High School. These first two scholarships were each $1,500. In 1990, the scholarship amount was increased to $2,500 per student.
 
Past presidents have included Jim Dennison, Perry Winston, Joe Kelly, Jeff Mitchell, Ilhami Konur and Ernie Carnevale. The current president is Valerie Beaudoin with Spider Marks as vice-president, Jeff Mitchell as treasurer and Howard Moody as secretary. Members of the committee are Reggie Baker, Steve Chapin, Phil Daley, Dan Hampton, Ashley Ivey, Doug MacLean, Chris Mallin, Carole Maloney, Chuck Maloney, Dave Struba and John Whisler. The current president of the Rotary Club automatically sits on the Scholarship Fund Board of Directors.
 
If you would like to support the Perry Winston Scholarship, you can use the button below to donate, or contact us at perrywinstonscholarship@gmail.com