OBAR Awards $12,000 in Scholarships to Local Students

The Outer Bank Association of REALTORS® (OBAR) has announced the recipients of its annual scholarships for graduating seniors from Currituck and Dare Counties and Ocracoke. Eight students were selected to receive $1,500 each from OBAR’s Scholarship Fund held with the Outer Banks Community Foundation.

The scholarship winners are:

• Tyler Babcock, JP Knapp Early College
• Tatum Dermatas, First Flight High School
• Ella Gardiner, Manteo High School
• Jeni Hooper, Manteo High School
• Briana Lee, Manteo High School
• Dylan Talley, First Flight High School
• Gavin Thompson, Cape Hatteras Secondary School
• Rylee Young, First Flight High School

OBAR’s Scholarship Committee, chaired by Tiffany Moldovan, Beach Realty, reviewed dozens of applications and conducted interviews to select the eight deserving students. The committee members are Tricia Driscoll, Eddie Twyne, Jennifer Wilson, Tess Harrell, David Roberts, and Christi Bryant.  Tiffany says, “It is always so hard to choose only a few recipients when so many of them deserve it.  We had some amazing graduates in the Outer Banks, and it was an honor to be part of selecting the recipients this year with my fellow committee members.  It’s very emotional hearing their stories, and I truly believe that this year’s recipients have very bright futures ahead of them.  I wish all of them success.”

Scholarships were awarded to each student at their school’s Awards Night.  OBAR President Natalie Painter of Howard Hanna said, “I was filled with immense pride as I watched these remarkable young individuals step onto the stage during the scholarship award ceremonies. Each recipient’s beaming face was a testament to their deserving nature. Being able to provide scholarships to these students, on behalf of our REALTOR® members, is a heartfelt way to give back to our community. I commend all the applicants for their courage in pursuing further education and I have no doubt that they will continue to thrive in their future endeavors.”

OBAR has been awarding scholarships to local students since 1996. To date, OBAR has given over $277,000 in scholarships to 183 students. The scholarships are funded by OBAR’s three annual fundraising events, known as “Surf, Turf, and Roll”. These events include a Bowling Tournament in March, a Golf Tournament in June, and a Surf Fishing Tournament in October.

OBAR’s Scholarship Fund is one of the many charitable funds managed by the Outer Banks Community Foundation. The Community Foundation is a public charity that connects people who care about causes that matter. Anyone can contribute to OBAR’s Scholarship Fund by visiting www.obcf.org/donate-now and selecting Outer Banks REALTORS® Scholarship Fund from the drop-down menu.