Suffolk News-Herald

The PTA of Lakeland High School recently awarded two scholarships to graduating students, making it possible for them to continue their education and to achieve their dreams.

Germaine Gauvin and Ashley Koncz were the recipients.

Laurilee Willman, PTA president, and Angela Koncz, treasurer, presented the scholarships to the students on behalf of the Lakeland PTA.

Gauvin comes from a family of 10 children, and she carries a 3.4 grade point average. She has been accepted into Old Dominion University’s pre-law program with plans to become a lawyer.

Koncz carries a 3.0 grade point average and plans to attend Mannes Conservatory of New York. She is a soprano and she plans a double major with psychology.

&uot;In awarding these two scholarships, our main goal was to get the students to follow the directions,&uot; said Angela Koncz.

Each applicant for the scholarship was given the same instructions; follow the directions as given in the essay criteria, observe the due date, the time and the person to whom they were to go to at the school.

&uot;Only these two students followed those directions and wrote nice essays as well,&uot; said Koncz. &uot;English major, Kay Hurley and a Dr. Linda Ferguson, a professor of marketing at Virginia Wesleyan, judged the entries.&uot;

Koncz said that when the PTA explained the guidelines for writing the scholarships to Ferguson, she noted that very few students come to college knowing how to follow directions.

All students are encouraged to see their guidance counselor for information on available scholarships.

&uot;Many parents complain that they didn’t know or their student didn’t know that such scholarships are available, yet the students and parents are advised at open house of all that’s available to them,&uot; said Koncz. &uot;They are also told at freshman orientation, and again at student orientation.&uot;

The PTA also has a designated person each year to assist students in finding scholarship money, she added.