Hedgesville High School’s Megan Meyer of Martinsburg is the winner of the 12th annual West Virginia Scholar competition. Meyer will receive a four-year full scholarship to attend West Virginia Wesleyan College beginning with the 2020 fall semester. The announcement was made at the annual luncheon honoring finalists on the Wesleyan campus.

The first runner-up in this year’s competition is Elkins High School’s Sofia Triplett of Elkins, who will receive a $20,000 scholarship over four years. South Harrison High School’s Garrett Davis of Jane Lew is the second runner-up and will receive a $10,000 scholarship to Wesleyan.

Other finalists include Philip Barbour High School’s Jakob Baker of Philippi, Woodrow Wilson High School’s Caitlyn Cormack of Beckley, Brooke High School’s Rachel Kazmirski of Colliers, Hedgesville High School’s Michael Offutt of Hedgesville, Notre Dame High School’s Bethany Prascik of Fairmont, Musselman High School’s Sara Snyder of Hedgesville, and Braxton County High School’s Camron Wayne of Gassaway.

“I’m shocked,” Meyer said. “It’s amazing. I’m both speechless and unbelievably happy.” Meyer wants to major in nursing, adding no one in her family has gone to medical school and it’s personal for her.

Wesleyan Vice President of Enrollment Management John Waltz said the finalists represent the best and brightest, and will change the world. He added, “There were a record number of applicants this year. The group of finalists has an average 3.99 GPA, a 25 average ACT score and 1140 average score on the SAT.”

The scholarship competition began in February and the pool of 100 applicants was narrowed to 15 semi-finalists in April. The program is a partnership between Wesleyan and West Virginia MetroNews.

The scholarship competition is also sponsored by West Virginia Farm Bureau, ZMM Architects and Engineers, West Virginia Hospital Association, AIP Architectural Interior Products, West Virginia Coal Association, Friends of Coal, and RBC Wealth Management.

The scholarship is also partially funded by The Culpepper Wesleyan Scholars Award, which was established as an endowed scholarship by the late Olive O’Dell Culpepper ’33 and C. Ross Culpepper ’30. The endowment continues to be generously supported by Marvin, 51, Hon. ’06 and Elaine Karnes Culpepper ’54, Hon. ’06.

Photo caption: 12th Annual West Virginia Scholar Program (from left), Second Runner-Up: Garrett Davis of Jane Lew, Winner: Megan Meyer of Martinsburg, and First Runner-Up: Sofia Triplett of Elkins.