Kye Gaston, a senior at Parkersburg High School, has been awarded a $5,000 per year Citizens Bank of West Virginia Emerging Leaders Scholarship to Davis & Elkins College for a total of $20,000 over four years.

Davis & Elkins, Citizens Bank of West Virginia and WDTV partnered for a second year to offer the unique scholarship competition. All 2023 West Virginia high school graduates, whether attending a public, private or homeschool, with a 3.25 or higher GPA were eligible to apply. Impressed with the high caliber of applicants, College officials decided to offer multiple scholarships in addition to the selection of one student who received a full, four-year scholarship.

Applicants were required to submit a list of high school and community activities, along with an essay based on the topic, “If you receive this scholarship, how will you pay it forward to the state of West Virginia?”

Gaston is the son of Trina Gaston and Phil Gaston of Vienna. At Parkersburg High School, Gaston is a member of the school’s baseball team.

Outside of school, he was an intern with the West Virginia GOP

At Davis & Elkins College, Gaston plans to major in political science.

Davis & Elkins College offers more than 45 academic programs. Multiple scholarship opportunities are available including the College’s annual $5.4 million investment in West Virginia students. For additional information, call 304-637-1230 or visit www.dewv.edu/admissions.

Kye Gaston

Kye Gaston