On April 27 St. Francis UMC named eight high school seniors Holloway Educational Scholarship recipients. The top award winners of $1,000 each were Shelby Austin, daughter of Janeen and David Goodwin of Raleigh, and Kathryn Beach, daughter of Mike and Winnie Beach of Cary.

Other award winners, who received $500 each, included Catie Andrus, daughter of Sam and Judy Andrus; Stephanie Bernath, daughter of David and Kathy Bernath; Rhys Brock-Loftis, son of Gray Brock; Mary Goodnight, daughter of Lou Ann and Jimmy Goodnight; Rebecca Hall, daughter of Howard and Cindy Hall; and Lizzie Purcell, daughter of the Rev. Joan and Kenny Purcell.

The winners all met the selection criteria, which included church membership, excellent academic achievement, active involvement in church and community programs and participation in extracurricular activities at their respective high schools.

St. Francis UMC awards scholarships annually through the Holloway Educational Endowment Fund, established six years ago in memory of St. Francis member Mary Holloway’s mother, Mamie Ammons, who was a strong believer in education and its use in the fulfillment of the life of a Christian. We applaud these remarkable young people, their faith in God, and the importance of St. Francis UMC in their lives.

Clayton scholarship
Jane Almon, member of Saint Francis United Methodist Church in Cary, received the Clayton Scholarship on April 27. The $1,000 scholarship, named in honor of former senior pastor, the Rev. Richard Clayton, provides assistance to those pursuing full-time Christian service. Almon will enter Duke Divinity School this fall to earn her Master of Divinity degree.

She has also been awarded a Rural Ministry Fellowship, funded by the Duke Endowment through the Thriving Rural Churches program. As a part of her fellowship experience, Jane will assist with programs at a rural church this summer. At St. Francis UMC, Jane serves in our Health and Wholeness Ministry and has been instrumental in the development of our monthly healing services. She also represents the N.C. Council of Churches on the Rural Life subcommittee “Come to the Table” which explores connections between food security, faith and farms.