In March, more than 460 Virginia high school students registered for the Virginia Bankers Association Bank Day Scholarship Program with 26 banks across the state.
On May 8, it was announced that a senior at Patrick Henry High School had won a $2,500 scholarship to her college of choice, thanks to that program and The Bank of Glade Spring, a branch of The Bank of Marion.
Through this program, 17 local students spent a day in a branch of The Bank of Marion, learning about career opportunities in banking, how banks support communities, and ways to manage their own financial futures. These students wrote essays about their experiences, and a total of $26,000 in scholarships was awarded by the VBA Education Foundation to 12 students on the merits of their essays.
This year, there were six regional winners who each received a $2,500 scholarship.
One of those winners was Baleigh Belcher of Meadowview.
Belcher spent Bank Day at The Bank of Glade Spring, hosted by Branch Manager, Garnet Lester, and the branch staff. Afterwards, she wrote and submitted her essay, which was judged to be one of the six best in the state and resulted in her scholarship.
Belcher plans to attend Emory & Henry College in the fall and major in accounting. She then plans to become a C.P.A. She is a member of the National Honor Society and volunteers in preschool ministry at Highlands Fellowship in Abingdon.
“My biggest accomplishment so far is graduating high school with my associate degree from Virginia Highlands Community College,” she says.
“We congratulate Miss Belcher on her selection as the Southwest Virginia Region Winner for the 2023 VBA Bank Day Scholarship program. It is our honor to support this program and host local students each year,” said Tammy Shuler, Marketing Assistant with
The Bank of Marion, and manager of its Bank Day Scholarship Program.
The Bank of Marion has 18 branches and offices in Southwestern Virginia and the Virginia-Tennessee Tri-Cities. It was established in 1874 and is Virginia’s third oldest bank.
