New Scholarship Fund Available for JMHS Students

From Espire Services: The Board of Directors are pleased to announce the founding of The Warhawk Scholarship Fund to benefit current and former JMHS students as they pursue their post-JMHS education. The Warhawk Scholarship Fund (the Fund) is a need-based, federally approved 501(c)(3) charity allowing all donations to be fully tax deductible with 100% of all contributions dedicated to scholarship awards and endowment growth.

The Board consists of: Gail Hibler, who has been a member of the JMHS family since 2005 and is currently the Administrative Assistant to the Principal, Greg Hood; Nathan Hibler, a former Army aviator, retired diplomat and founder of Espire Services, LLC.; Bob Gambarelli, past JMHS Director of Student Services; Lynn Otto, the current JMHS College and Career Specialist, and Douglas Lee, 1991 JMHS alumni and current Chief Financial Officer for Espire Services, LLC.\

The Fund has an initial endowment of $250,000.00.

“Madison has been both my second home and my second family for more than a decade," says Hibler. "It has become more and more apparent during my tenure that many of our most hard working and promising students find their dreams of higher education being dashed on the rocks of financial realities. The Warhawk Scholarship Fund is a great way for us to collectively give back, pay it forward and make dreams come to life for our most promising and needful Warhawk alumni.”

The Fund grew out of the Board’s primary concern that the ever-increasing cost of living in Northern Virginia, combined with an increasingly expensive post-secondary education, inhibits numerous JMHS students and alumni from completing or continuing their education. Following numerous meetings with JHMS leadership and the larger Vienna community, it became obvious that a long-term, community-based Giving Platform solution could best serve those most in need and most likely to succeed; and individual success is the goal! Ultimately, The Warhawk Scholarship Fund was created under Virginia laws and received its IRS 501(c)(3) designation in 2016.

In addition to the Board’s concern about economic inhibitors to alumni continuing their education, the Board also recognized that an IRS 501(c)(3) “Giving Platform” did not exist within the extended JMHS community; possibly inhibiting giving. The Warhawk Scholarship Fund addresses the need for a Giving Platform in that is designed and intended to be used by the entire JMHS community to the benefit of the community. To that end, donations to the general Fund are always solicited and it is hoped that a permanent endowment is eventually realized. In addition, and in keeping with the concept of a Giving Platform, Named Scholarships can be endowed through community donations that, within the general intent of the Fund, can be used to target a more specific need or segment within the community and which credit either the donor or any other entity. Chartain Strategies, LLC, founded by Vienna resident Suzanne Lee, will be the first community member to use the Fund as a Giving Platform to direct funds to JHMS graduates currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution.

“Our community supports the students of JMHS in so many ways from their freshman to senior year," says Hood. "The commitment from our community to our students is what makes Madison such an exceptional school. Now, our community has taken an incredible step to support students even after graduation. I am thrilled that the Warhawk Scholarship Fund will provide an opportunity for motivated alumni to gain access to post-secondary education. Removing the financial barrier to education will serve as a life changing event for the scholarship recipients. Thank you to the founders, organizers and especially to our future donors for enriching Warhawk alumni opportunities and strengthening the future of our community.”

As stated earlier, need-based scholarships are available to all JMHS students and alumni, either matriculated or not. The number of scholarships available in any year is determined annually by the Fund based on the funds available. The maximum amount of each scholarship, depending on fund availability, will be $2,500.00 per semester or $1,666.67 per quarter for a maximum total of $5,000 per Academic Year per recipient. Additionally, recipients must have maintained a GPA of at least 2.80 while at JMHS and must either be enrolled in Fairfax County Adult and Community Education classes to complete high school graduation requirements or in an approved institute of higher education on a full-time basis. There are other requirements for an award that are detailed in the Fund Operating Rules.

Among the eight scholarships available for 2017, there are four named scholarships: The Warhawk Scholar, The Founder’s Scholar, The Mayor’s Scholar and The Fairfax Scholar.

“This scholarship fund embodies the qualities that make James Madison High School an outstanding school," says Fusca. "The goal of helping others to achieve their dreams through education is a special gift. Having a vehicle to help fund the education of deserving students will make a difference in so many lives. Thank you to the founders and donors of this fund, both present and future, for your generosity, hard work and vision."

The Warhawk Scholarship Fund website (www.warhawksf.org) is under active construction and will go live by April 15 th . The Fund will distribute current year applications starting on April 17, 2017 with submissions due on May 5, 2017.

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