More than 200 students, donors, and community leaders gathered early this morning for the Adams County Community Foundation’s annual scholarship breakfast, where nearly $200,000 in scholarships were awarded to local students.
Foundation President and CEO Ralph Serpe welcomed attendees, noting the unique nature of the event, which brings scholarship recipients face-to-face with the donors who fund their awards.
“This scholarship breakfast is really special,” Serpe said, emphasizing the opportunity for students and donors to connect in a more meaningful way than traditional award ceremonies.
Since its founding, the Community Foundation has helped distribute close to $2 million in scholarships, fueled by the generosity of about 80 families, individuals, and businesses that have established scholarship funds.
This year’s event was sponsored by Fred and Susi Guinn, credited for helping create the scholarship program nearly two decades ago. Serpe also recognized the foundation’s board, donors, and volunteers, as well as elected officials in attendance, including state representatives and congressional staff.
In addition to celebrating scholarship recipients, Serpe highlighted the foundation’s broader mission of building a permanent charitable endowment for Adams County. Each year, about 5% of the fund is distributed through grants and scholarships supporting education, housing, mental health, workforce development, and other community initiatives.
A key policy success noted during the event was the elimination of “scholarship displacement” in Pennsylvania — a practice in which outside scholarships reduce institutional aid — which Serpe described simply as “bad,” adding that eliminating it is “good.”
The program also featured remarks from guest speaker Derek Reed, a Littlestown native and former scholarship recipient who has built a career as a singer and entertainer. Reed shared how an unconventional path — including performances across multiple states and an appearance on American Idol — grew from early opportunities and a willingness to embrace uncertainty.
“The unexpected has offered so many wonderful opportunities that I never could have anticipated,” Reed told the audience, encouraging students to remain open to life’s surprises.
He urged scholarship recipients to embrace change and uncertainty as they move forward.
“Life surely won’t always go according to plan, but truly, the unexpected is what makes life so exciting,” Reed said.
Following Reed’s remarks, Suzy Gwyn announced dozens of scholarship recipients from high schools across Adams County and surrounding areas, including Biglerville, Bermudian Springs, Fairfield, Gettysburg, Littlestown, and New Oxford.
Individual awards ranged from smaller scholarships to multi-year awards totaling up to $30,000. Among the largest was the Harold L. Griffey STEM Scholarship, awarded over four years.
In closing, Serpe reminded students that their relationship with the foundation continues beyond the award.
“We’re really proud of you. We believe in you. And we can’t wait to see what you all do next,” he said.
Students were invited to pick up their award packets and participate in group photos following the ceremony.
Awards shared:
Adams County Community Foundation America 250PA Scholarship
Wynter Frenette – Gettysburg Area High School
Adams Electric Cooperative Scholarships
Daphne Alexander – Kennard Dale/
Colton Anders – Gettysburg Area High School
Victoria Bechtold – Big Spring High School
Callum Burnett – Shippensburg High School
Wynter Frenette – Gettysburg Area High School
Quinn Funk – Gettysburg Area High School
Jake Goolsby – Kennard Dale High School
Lucas Hanley – Susquehannock High School
Gage Hess – Northern High School
Kassidy Hinson – Spring Grove High School
Kyle Kauffman – Littlestown High School
Phoebe Kessel – Southwestern High School
Bailey Lebo – Dover Area High School
Oliver Lehman – Big Spring High School
Nevaeh Lener – Bermudian Springs High School
Leah McCauslin – Littlestown High School
Kye Nelson – Biglerville High School
Harley Oliphant – Red Lion Area Senior High School
Annalise Renner – Kennard Dale High School
Olivia Sanders – Fairfield Area High School
Samantha Scheungrab – Gettysburg Area High School
Nicholas Lomax Singh – Susquehannock High School
Keira Slonaker – Delone Catholic High School
Alayna Smith – New Oxford High School
Austin Snyder – Fairfield Area High School
Alexander Williams – Shippensburg High School
Olivia Wirfil – Spring Grove High School
Albert J. Lentz American Legion Post 202 Scholarship
Haley Best – Fairfield Area High School
Sherry (Krom) Amig Scholarship
William Schuck – New Oxford Senior High School
Thomas E. Arnold Scholarship
Adrian Mann – Biglerville High School
Henry Barberis III FFA Scholarship goes to:
Evangeline Hollabaugh– Biglerville High School
Biglerville High School Business Award
Evangline Hollabaugh – Biglerville High School
Joseph T. & Ivah R. Bollinger Scholarship
Connor Myers – Littlestown High School
Biglerville Canner Award
Kaitlyn Gills – Biglerville High School
Biglerville Healthcare Education / Trade Scholarship
Sydney McCleaf – Biglerville High School
Mary Sue Cline Scholarships
Kye Nelson – Biglerville High School
Leslie Trejo Gomez – Biglerville High School
Margaret Trew Cline Foundation Nursing Scholarship
Olivia Sanders – Fairfield Area High School
Conewago Valley Scholarships New Oxford Senior High School
Meredith Bergen
Luke Frey
Jessalyn Laughner
Kali Neiderer
William Schuck
Alayna Smith
Hunter Smith
Adna Zukic
Emma Duttera Scholarship
Joseph Leal – Gettysburg Area High School
Fairfield Alumni Scholarship
Austin Snyder – Fairfield Area High School
Ray and Violet Flickinger Scholarship
Evangline Hollabaugh– Biglerville High School
Dolores Gillelan Memorial Scholarship
Evangline Hollabaugh – Biglerville High School
Dr. Charles H. Glatfelter Scholarship
Amanda Malone – Liberty University
Lettie Dent Gough Scholarship
Claire Jurney – Gettysburg Area High School
Walter P. and Anna Griest Memorial Scholarship
Jessalyn Laughner – New Oxford Senior High School
Harold L. Griffie STEM Scholarship
Mikolay Foursevitch – Bermudian Springs High School
Berne C. Hart Technical Scholarship
Jada Dunn – Biglerville High School
Leslie Trejo-Gomez – Biglerville High School
Mabelle Hereter Memorial Scholarship in Music
Brody Granger– Gettysburg Area High School
Eddie Horst Memorial Scholarship
Brody Granger– Gettysburg Area High School
Dale R. King Memorial Scholarship
Jacob Hamm – Bermudian Springs High School
George B. Inskip Memorial Scholarship
Olivia Sanders – Fairfield Area High School
Kermit Jacoby, Jr. Scholarships
Kye Nelson – Biglerville High School
Evangaline Hollabaugh – Biglerville High School
Dr. Ronald Krablin Scholarship
Olivia Sanders – Gettysburg Area High School
Julie Ann Lochary Scholarship
Leah McCauslin – Littlestown High School
Michelle Rene Louey Memorial Scholarship
Rebecca Williams – Littlestown High School
J. W. Martin Memorial Math Scholarship
Olivia Sanders – Fairfield Area High School
Meghan T. McKinney Memorial Scholarship
Sydney McCleaf – Biglerville High School
Mildred Walters Leader Memorial Scholarship
Isabel Mauss – Biglerville High School
H. Edgar & Betty Jane Moul Scholarship
Hunter Smith – New Oxford Senior High School
Elizabeth Musselman Memorial Scholarship
Haley Best – Fairfield Area High School
Luella Musselman Paul Scholarship
Kaitlyn Gills – Biglerville High School
Plainville Farms Feathers & Foundations Award
Megan Gemmill – Kennard Dale High School
Plainville Farms Trade Scholarship – Chuck Kerley Memorial Award
Nicholas Lomax Singh – Susquehannock High School
Greg Richardson Athletic Award
Nicolas Oshunrinade – Gettysburg Area High School
Austin Snyder – Fairfield Area High School
Elizabeth Ferciot Roby Art Scholarship
Ivan Almanza – New Oxford Senior High School
Rotary Club of Littlestown Scholarship
Connor Myers – Littlestown High School
Rotary Club of Gettysburg
Curtis Rebert – Gettysburg Area High School
Haleigh McKain – Gettysburg Area High School
Lucy Watkins – Gettysburg Area High School
Dennis Runk, CPA (Class of 1969) and Family Scholarship
Brody Clabaugh – Littlestown High School
Connor Myers – Littlestown High School
Helen & Elton Ruth Memorial Scholarship
Audrianna Dusseau – New Oxford Senior High School
Dalton Cole Schriver Memorial Scholarship
Jessalyn Laughner – New Oxford Senior High School
William E. Smith Scholarship
Landon Oehmig – Bermudian Springs High School
The Emory H. & Luther D. Snyder Littlestown Foundry Scholarship
Nathan Snyder – Shippensburg University
Leila (Tharp) Steiner & Paul W. Steiner Scholarship
Wynter Frenette – Gettysburg Area High School
The Lady/Swales Scholarship
Kali Neiderer – New Oxford Senior High School
Rosemary and Leon Tawney Scholarships
Leah McCauslin – Littlestown High School
Alaina Dunham – Bermudian Springs High School
Alayna Smith – New Oxford Senior High School
Ray J. Wherley Tech/Trade Scholarship
Owen Ragula – New Oxford Senior High School
The Adams County Community Foundation was created to promote and facilitate charitable giving and to build a ecivic endowment for Adams County. While focused locally, the Community Foundation provides a home for charitable funds created by donors which may make grants and scholarships anywhere across the country.
Featured image: Derek Reed