The Suffolk Foundation currently is accepting applications for two separate scholarships it administers.

Both named after inspirational Suffolk natives, the Howard D. Mast Memorial Scholarship and the Col. Fred V. Cherry Scholarship will award money to Suffolk students who are attending an accredited college or university.

The Howard Mast scholarship is named after a former director of parks and recreation who coached the Nansemond River High School boys’ tennis team, organized and directed the Suffolk Tennis Association, and served as mentor, teacher, coach and friend to countless Suffolk residents.

“During his entire life, Howard Mast tirelessly promoted the game of tennis among youth and adults in the city of Suffolk, the state, and the mid-Atlantic region,” states a press release from the Suffolk Foundation. “He positively and profoundly affected the lives of countless young people in their development as tennis players, as athletes in other sports, and as good citizens of the community.”

The 2010 Mast scholarship will be an award of $2,000, given to a current resident of the city of Suffolk. The winner will be either a graduating senior at one of the public or private high schools or a senior in an accredited home school program in Suffolk, or a former graduate of a public, private or home school program in Suffolk who is currently a full-time student in an accredited college or university.

Applications for the Mast scholarship are available at all high schools in the city, or may be obtained by emailing bhill@suffolkfoundation.org or downloaded from www.suffolkfoundation.org. All applications must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the foundation office at 1426 Holland Road by 4 p.m. on March 31.

The Col. Fred V. Cherry scholarship is named after a highly decorated Vietnam prisoner of war who was educated in Suffolk. Cherry entered the U.S. Air Force in 1951 and completed jet fighter pilot training in 1952.

After 52 missions in Vietnam, Cherry was shot down and captured in 1965. He remained a prisoner of war until February 1973, and he retired from the military in 1981. He was awarded the Air Force Cross, the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, among many others.

The Cherry scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior from one of Suffolk’s high schools who demonstrates financial need and has a grade point average of 3.0 or better. The value of the scholarship has yet to be determined, but should range from $1,000 to $2,000.

The application is available from any high school counselor, or can be obtained by emailing bhill@suffolkfoundation.org or downloaded from www.suffolkfoundation.org. Applications must be postmarked or delivered by March 31.

For more information on either scholarship, call 923-9090 or email bhill@suffolkfoundation.org.