About the Scholarship
The Clint A. Nichols Memorial Scholarship has been established to be given in Clint’s honor to a chosen John Handley High School Senior who has been nominated by their Guidance Counselor.
The recipient should possess similar character traits; love of life, Handley Pride, and the community citizenship Clint held close to his heart. The Executive Committee of the Scholarship Fund will choose the recipient from submitted candidates from the guidance counseling staff at John Handley High School.
100% of all donations made to The Clint A. Nichols Memorial Scholarship via the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley (CFNSV) will go directly towards the overall endowment of the scholarship.
Each candidate for the scholarship must meet the following criteria for consideration:
A Graduating Senior of John Handley High School
GPA: 3.0
Positive influence on other students and their community
Effortlessly brings peers together, acts as an inclusive bridge between younger students and upperclassmen
Embodies Handley Pride and pride in Winchester community while remaining humble personally
Participate in community service and leadership activities (school and community)
Pick two of the following types of character recommendation letters to submit w/ application:
1 Peer
1 Teacher
1 Community Leader/Executive Sponsor/Volunteer Coordinator/Mentor/etc.
Submit an essay of a maximum of 500-words - prompt to be shared with candidates.
Our 2026 Scholarship Recipient
Josiah Johnson
Jojo’s tireless hard work, commitment, and care for our community, the Handley Student Government, the football team, and his church are among the many reasons we chose Jojo as this year’s scholarship recipient. In the fall, Josiah will continue his education at Ferrum College.
Please join us in congratulating Jojo and wishing him all the best in the future!
Our 2025 Scholarship Recipient
Ryan Barker
Ryan is attending Old Dominion University, where he has been hard at work with the AIAA Design/Build/Fly competition and his team, designing, building, and flight-testing a remote-controlled aircraft to meet specific mission requirements.
Beyond DBF, Ryan has served this year as the Aerodynamics Team Lead for the ODU Motorsports Formula SAE team. Ryan led the design and CFD testing of aerodynamic elements and assisted with composite fabrication and CAD modeling for the car's bodywork. Between those projects and a NASA patent project involving carbon fiber gear systems, it has been a very busy but exciting year at ODU for Ryan. Way to go!
Our 2024 Scholarship Recipient
Alexa Gluszak
Alexa will be attending Clint’s alma mater, Roanoke College, and will be playing on the volleyball team. Her infectious smile, love of her community, openness to others, and Handley pride will be a wonderful addition to the Roanoke community. We wish you the best of luck, Alexa!
Our 2023 Scholarship Recipient
Zynah Johnson
Zynah will be attending Johnson and Wales beginning in the fall of 2023. Zynah’s dedication to her community and family is boundless. We look forward to cheering her on her academic journey. Congratulations Zynah!
Our 2022 and Inaugural Scholarship Recipient
Paco Perez
Paco will be attending George Mason University beginning the fall of 2022 and will pursue a degree in education with plans to return to Handley High School as a future member of the teaching staff. Paco’s drive, and dedication to his friends, community, and family are boundless.
“Everything Mr. Perez does elevates others. He inspires others. Others work harder when they see how hard he works. Others want to be better individuals when they see his high level of character. The loudest cheers heard from the crowd and community at basketball games are the times Paco would enter the game-teammates would jump with joy; the crowd exploded with excitement. Paco not only brings together his peers – he brings together the community.”
- Zack Harrell, Head Varsity basketball coach, JHHS