Under normal circumstances, an awards dinner is an anticipated event. But given the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the George E. Allen Academic Scholarship awards ceremony get canceled last year, last night’s event was even more anticipated than usual.
President Edward Allen congratulating the recipients
To maintain safety guidelines, the awards ceremony was held outdoors in a tent, with masks and social distancing. Every family enjoyed dining together at tables of their own. At Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, everyone celebrated amongst gardens in full bloom.
Recipient Dinachi Utah (middle) with her family
This year’s recipients are nothing short of extraordinary. Their names are listed below, along with which University they plan on attending. You can learn more about our scholarship recipients here.
- Tyler English of Norfolk: University of Virginia
- Aisha Khan of Woodbridge: Harvard University
- Trinity MacDonald of Mineral: Virginia Tech
- Mohammad Murad of Stafford: University of Virginia
- Shrinidhi Nadgouda of Glen Allen: University of Virginia
- Juwon Park of Crozet: University of Virginia
- Lisa Parker of Disputanta: Christopher Newport University
- Benjamin Rodgers of Verona: Liberty University
- Madison Russell of Midlothian: James Madison University
- Dinachi Utah of Henrico: Virginia Tech
- Alex Vandermeys of Mosely: Virginia Tech
- Ollie Walker of Richmond: Virginia Commonwealth University
- Kaylaa’ White of Prince George: New York University
- Cory Winkler of Fredericksburg: William and Mary
- Kevin Xue of Glen Allen: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
“Over the years, we’ve been amazed by the passion, drive and motivation of the students we’ve met as a result of the George E. Allen Academic Scholarship, and this trend has continued into 2021. For many of these recipients, they’ve had to overcome so much adversity along the way, and yet still, have excelled in and out of the classroom,” said Edward Allen, president of the Allen Law Firm. “We know these $2,000 scholarships are going to help pave the way for more successes moving forward, and we look forward to seeing all that these students accomplish.”
Recipient Juwon Park (right) with attorney Scott D. Fitzgerald
In its 30th year, the George E. Allen Academic Scholarship has awarded students across Allen & Allen’s operating areas with more than $500,000 since its inception. The scholarship was created to honor the firm’s founder, George E. Allen, Sr., who overcame significant hardship to put himself through college and law school.
