The Education Scholarship Foundation of the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC) announced that it has awarded $165,000 in scholarships to 92 high school seniors this year. The Education Scholarship Foundation awarded scholarships to six Central Virginia high school seniors, and the 2026 recipients are:
- Lola Harrison, a senior at Appomattox County High School and the daughter of Joshua and Valarie Harrison, received the Worth M. Hudson Award in the amount of $2,500. Harrison plans to attend Virginia Tech, where she will major in human development with the goal of becoming a child life specialist.
- Jack Wilkerson, a senior at Appomattox County High School and son of Michael and Sara Wilkerson, received a Worth M. Hudson Award in the amount of $2,000. Wilkerson plans to attend Virginia Tech where he will major in engineering with the goal of becoming an engineer.
- Sophia Pace, a senior at Fluvanna County High School and the daughter of Mitchell and Marie Pace, received the Worth M. Hudson Award in the amount of $1,500. Pace plans to attend James Madison University, where she will study health sciences and kinesiology with a goal of becoming an occupational therapist.
- Gabriel Rhea, a senior at Fluvanna County High School and the son of Carrielyn Rhea, received a Worth M. Hudson Award in the amount of $1,500. Rhea plans to attend the University of Virginia to study psychology with a goal of becoming a psychiatrist to help mentally struggling individuals.
- Alexia Ward, a senior at Fluvanna County High School and the daughter of Nicholas and Beckie Ward, received the Worth M. Hudson Award in the amount of $1,500. Ward plans to attend the University of Virginia, where she will major in nursing with a goal of becoming a nurse with a focus on pediatric oncology.
The scholarships are named in honor of Worth M. Hudson, the first chairman of the VMDAEC Education Scholarship Foundation Board and former chairman of the board of directors of Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative in Chase City, Va.
Finally, the Foundation’s highest honor, the $3,000 Roberta I. Harlowe Scholarship, was awarded to a student served by Central Virginia Electric Cooperative. The scholarship is named in honor of Roberta I. Harlowe, a former member of the CVEC Board of Directors whose leadership, service, and dedication have left a lasting impact on the cooperative and the communities it serves.
Mrs. Harlowe and her husband, Bill, made a historic contribution to the Foundation by establishing its first endowment fund, helping secure support for future generations of students. Together, they have endowed more than $50,000 to provide a lasting financial foundation for the Association’s charitable and educational initiatives.
Mrs. Harlowe faithfully represented the East District on the CVEC Board of Directors for 42 years, becoming the first woman elected to the board. Throughout her tenure, she earned widespread respect for her principled leadership, unwavering commitment to cooperative values, and deep passion for serving rural communities.
Dedicated to lifelong learning and excellence, Mrs. Harlowe completed the highest level of training available for electric cooperative directors and continued participating in annual industry education programs throughout her service. Her leadership and contributions have been recognized through numerous honors, including the dedication of the Harlowe-Vest Community Room at CVEC, the VMDAEC Leadership Award, and the prestigious Tom Downing Fellow Award presented by her local Ruritan club.
A strong advocate for youth and education, Mrs. Harlowe also served as chair of the VMDAEC Educational Scholarship Foundation for more than a decade. This year’s $3,000 scholarship was awarded to:
- Madison Gifford, a senior at Fluvanna County High School and the daughter of Joshua and Jennifer Gifford, where she will attend Virginia Commonwealth University to study dance and choreography, with the dream to perform in a professional company or choreograph for Broadway.
These six high school seniors were eligible for consideration because their parents are consumer-members of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative.
“For 25 years, our electric cooperatives have invested in the young people we serve,” said Brian Mosier, VMDAEC CEO. “This program reflects the cooperative principle of ‘concern for community’ while supporting future leaders — whether they serve on co-op boards, join our workforce, or pursue skilled trades that help keep the lights on. At a time of rising education costs and financial pressure in many rural communities, these scholarships help students build a strong foundation for the future.”
Since 2001, more than 1,350 scholarships totaling $1.4 million to graduating seniors pursuing college, technical or trade education have been awarded. Recipients must live within the service areas of the Association’s 16 member cooperatives — 13 in Virginia, two in Maryland, and one in Delaware. Funds are paid directly to the institution to help the student with tuition or room and board.
The scholarship program is supported by private donations and received a significant boost in 2018 with the launch of the “Keeping the Lights On” commemorative Virginia license plate. Proceeds from the plate, which costs drivers $25 per year ($35 per year for personalized plates) directly fund the scholarships.
Additional contributions to the foundation are tax-deductible and may be made in honor or memory of an individual. One hundred percent of donations support student scholarships. Supporters can donate at https://vmdaec.swoogo.com/give-vmdaec-scholarship.
For more information, visit https://vmdaec.com/scholarshipfoundation
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Central Virginia Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit, electric utility serving 39,000 homes, farms and businesses in the rural portions of 14 Virginia counties. CVEC connects its members and communities through reliable power and broadband services, delivering world-class, high-speed internet service through its subsidiary, Firefly Fiber Broadband. CVEC and its subsidiary are equal opportunity providers and employers. For more information, visit www.mycvec.com.
The Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives represents member-owned electric cooperatives serving more than 2 million people across the three-state region. Association members provide electricity through more than 700,000 meters in Virginia, more than 200,000 in Maryland, and more than 110,000 in Delaware. Electric cooperatives are consumer-owned, state-chartered utilities, making the association one of the largest consumer organizations in the region.