By Amy Caruthers
While many youth dream of higher education, some need guidance to realize their potential. Students from Jefferson High School and Washington High School, both located in Jefferson County, were given the opportunity to reshape their vision of the future with the Re-Imagine Scholarship Program. The innovative scholarship program encourages students to begin saving for college as early as ninth grade and provides access to financial literacy and skill-building resources.
The program catalyst was a group of parents that realized there was a void in education pertaining to the financing of and planning for college among local high school students. As the idea took shape, it became clear the program needed community support to grow. That’s when United Bank, Inc., a subsidiary of United Bankshares, Inc. and the largest financial holding and publicly traded company headquartered in West Virginia, stepped in.
Supported by the grassroots nonprofit organization 44 College Ready Foundation, Inc., the Re-Imagine Scholarship Program currently consists of 30 bright and talented students from Jefferson and Washington high schools who applied through their high school achievement program.
United, the first and largest community partner of the program, offered both monetary and program development support from the onset. As a company, United recognizes the importance of thriving communities and strongly supports initiatives that focus on financial literacy, children, education, health care, affordable housing and economic vitality.
Through United Bank, students can open a scholarship bank account, which can only be accessed upon graduation from high school and must be used for college or entrepreneurial expenses. For each dollar deposited, United will match 1:1, up to a set limit.
“When we designed the Re-Imagine Scholarship Program, we approached every local bank in our area looking for a program partner,” says Arthena Sewell Roper, creator and founder of the program. “United Bank said yes, we will open the accounts for the students and match the funds students deposit in their accounts. This demonstration of confidence in our students’ future is huge. United Bank said yes, and we are eternally thankful.”
About the Author
Amy Fanta Caruthers currently serves as a senior marketing specialist for United Bank. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Her professional background encompasses work in public relations, advertising, mortgage lending, wealth management and insurance.
