Abbigail McAllister, a senior at Liberty High School, has been awarded a $2,500 per year Citizens Bank of West Virginia Emerging Leaders Scholarship to Davis & Elkins College for a total of $10,000 over four years.

Davis & Elkins, Citizens Bank of West Virginia and WDTV partnered to offer the unique scholarship competition. All 2022 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?”

McAllister is the daughter of Kim and Paul McAllister of Salem. At Liberty High School, she is a member of FFA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, yearbook staff, the Liberty marching and concert bands, and the Mountaineers soccer and track and field teams.

At Davis & Elkins College, McAllister plans to major in criminology.

“Giving back means taking all the experiences in your life and using them for the improvement of something you see as important,” McAllister wrote in her essay. “This scholarship is an opportunity to do so through the love and appreciation I hold for the beautiful state of West Virginia because of all that it has offered me.”

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.

Abbigail McAllister

Abbigail McAllister