The Vecellio Family Foundation (VFF) awarded 10 college scholarships, worth $100,000, in 2003, the 31st year of the program. The scholarships provide each recipient with $10,000 — $2,500 per year for four years — in care of each student’s college or university.
VFF is a charitable organization established by the principals of the Vecellio Group, one of the nation’s Top 200 contractors. To assure impartiality, scholarship recipients are selected by independent review boards, not by the VFF, the Vecellio Group, or any of its operating units.
Two of the scholarships were given through the Employee Scholarship Program for dependents of Vecellio Group employees.
Caryne Linette Johnson, daughter of David Johnson, a mechanic with Vecellio & Grogan, received one of the Employee Scholarships. Caryne is attending Concord College in Athens, West Virginia, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in teaching.
Caryne attended Summers County High School in Hinton, West Virginia. She served as elected class treasurer in grades 9 through 12. She also was elected as Honors Society Historian, Key Club Treasurer, and Hi-4 Treasurer. She participated in volleyball and track, as well. Her hobbies include scrap-booking and collecting autographs.
The second Employee Scholarship recipient is Alison Rosencrans, daughter of Doug Rosencrans, Asphalt Superintendent at RangerConstruction’s Central Division. Alison is attending Florida State University, where she is working towards a degree in Civil Engineering.
Alison attended Lake Worth Christian School in Boynton Beach, Florida, where her scholastic and extracurricular honors included winning first place at the science fair, being listed in Who’s Who in American High School Students from grades 9 through 12, and making the honor roll each term. She played soccer, volley ball and soft ball, and enjoys water sports.
Scholarships were also presented to eight graduating seniors from selected high schools in West Virginia, where Vecellio & Grogan has operated since 1938.
Adrienne Jordan of Daniels, representing Shady Spring High School, was selected to receive a Leo A. Vecellio, Sr. Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of Vecellio & Grogan’s co-founder and the father of Vecellio Group CEO Leo Vecellio, Jr.
Liberty High School graduate Daniel Bailey, of Glen Daniel, also received a Leo A. Vecellio, Sr. Memorial Scholarship.
Representing Woodrow Wilson High School are three scholarship recipients, all from Beckley: Sharra Cales, who received a Rick Vecellio Memorial Scholarship, named to honor the late brother of Leo Vecellio, Jr.; Laura Robbins, who was granted a Leo A. Vecellio, Sr. Memorial Scholarship; and Tasha Hensdill, who received an Al Janutolo Memorial Scholarship, named for a long-time Vecellio & Grogan employee.
From Independence High School, Megan McCoy of Beaver received a Leo A. Vecellio, Sr. Memorial Scholarship.
In McDowell County, Brittany Mayhew of Iaeger was awarded a Dr. Dante Castrodale Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of Leo A. Vecellio Sr.’s brother-in-law, who served as a physician in the McDowell County area for many years.
The recipient of the Rick Vecellio Memorial Conservation Scholarship/ Youth Conservation Award is Lindsay Coleman of Fayetteville, who plans to study forestry and environmental resources.