Each year the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS® (OBAR) in partnership with the Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF) awards scholarships to local high school students. Funding for the OBAR Scholarship fund comes from REALTOR® and community donations through multiple events throughout the year, including Golf and Surf Fishing Tournaments.
Applying through the Outer Banks Community Foundation scholarship portal, applicants are required to complete a detailed application including an essay. In addition, the applicants must provide recommendations from teachers or members of the community for consideration.
This year the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS® Scholarship Committee was excited to receive over fifty applications. The committee, which consists of OBAR members including sales agents, property managers and local affiliates, reviewed each application, meeting on several occasions to determine the potential recipients. Says, 2019 Scholarship Chair, Holly Austin of Hatteras Realty, “It is a lot of work but a lot of fun to learn about the
students’ accomplishments and aspirations. Participating with the Scholarship Committee is truly an honor and we hear the stories every year of how these scholarships really make a difference in the lives of the students that receive them.”
Once the committee narrowed down the choices, the top applicants were interviewed in person. Says 2019 OBAR President and Scholarship Committee Member Jean-Paul Peron of the O
uter Banks Real Estate Company at eXp Realty, “This was my first year serving on this amazing committee, and I cannot express how impressed I am with the young adults who applied–especially those who were part of the face-to-face interview process. It is not easy to sit at a table in front of seven adults answering multiple questions. I admire each one of these young men and women and am humbled that I was able to be a part of this admirable process. I only wish we could give scholarships to everyone who applied!”
After carefully evaluating each application and conducting face-to-face interviews, ten, $1,000 scholarships were awarded to local college bound students for their first year in college. Each scholarship was presented personally by a scholarship committee member. This year, scholarships were
awarded to seniors, Kameron Daniels, Topanga Daniels and Wesley Mitchum from Manteo Highschool. Elizabeth Gardill, Samuel Fitzgerald, Albert DeMarco, Jacy Copeland, and Ceilidh McLean from First Flight received scholarships. Finally, Cape Hatteras Secondary School seniors, Karlene Balance and Jillian Webster also received scholarships. Congratulations to the 2019 recipients of the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS® Scholarships.
Since 1996 the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS®, in partnership with the Outer Banks Community Foundation, has awarded 139 local school students a total of $229,631 in scholarships. To donate to the OBAR Scholarship Fund go to www.obcf.org/donate-now and select the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS®.
