Eight University Scholarships Awarded

PRESS RELEASE | Friends of Virgin Islands National Park is happy to announce that it has awarded eight scholarships to Virgin Islands youth studying at the undergraduate level. The awards totaling $37,500 fall under the auspices of the Friends’ two scholarship programs: the Jeffrey Matheny Scholarship and the Noble Samuel Scholarship and Internship.

There are two new scholarship recipients: Justin Richards and Valorie Gore. Justin Richards, a senior at Gifft Hill School, has been awarded the Jeffrey Matheny Scholarship and will study marine biology at the University of the Virgin Islands.  A senior at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, Valorie Gore, has been awarded the Noble Samuel Scholarship and Internship to study biochemistry and microbiology at the University of South Carolina.

“The future of our community lies with our youth,” says Tonia Lovejoy, Executive Director, Friends of Virgin Islands National Park. “It is exciting and rewarding to be able to support these talented young Virgin Islanders as they pursue their dreams.  Friends of the Park is committed to building a pipeline of opportunities from our School Kids In The Park, Learn To Swim and Summer Trail Crew programs, to internships and scholarships like these.” 

The Jeffrey Matheny Scholarship was established in 2010 by his family in recognition of Jeffrey’s love of St. John and supports Virgin Islands students at the university level studying fields related to natural resource management and protection. Recipients of this scholarship in the 2025-26 academic year are Una Alexander (Howard University), Lindsay Barr (Colorado State University), Dennis Bigrigg (University of the Virgin Islands), Justin Richards (University of the Virgin Islands) and Lyric Vacharat (University of North Carolina Wilmington).

The Noble Samuel Scholarship and Internship launched in 2021 is endowed by anonymous donors inspired by the life of Noble Samuel who was a beloved park ranger known for generously sharing his love for the Virgin Islands National Park with passion and humility. The 2025-26 recipients of this scholarship, which is inclusive of a paid internship, are Kaj Gerard (University of the Virgin Islands), Valorie Gore (University of South Carolina) and Maxim McMahon (University of the Virgin Islands).

Learn more about Friends of Virgin Islands National Park’s scholarships here.