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Richmond Native Elizabeth Garson Wins WVIC/Wachovia Scholarship

Elizabeth Graber from Richmond, Va., a junior at Washington and Lee University, is a recent winner of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) / Wachovia Scholarship Program competition.

Garson, one of two WVIC / Wachovia Scholars this year, was selected in a statewide competition with applicants from all 15 member colleges in the VFIC consortium. This scholarship, worth $10,000, carries with it the opportunity to be considered for a paid summer internship at Wachovia, a Fortune 500 financial firm.

“The competition for this scholarship was very strong, so it’s a real credit to the students that they were selected,” said Ned Moore, president of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. “We are delighted to partner with Wachovia for a second year. With their generosity we have been able to reward talented and dedicated young men and women with much-needed academic scholarships as well as career development opportunities.”

Garson, majoring in both business administration and Spanish, has been a member of the field hockey team since her freshman year, winning Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Rookie of the Year her freshman year and All-ODAC and All-State honors this past fall. She was elected co-captain for Fall 2008. She is a member and officer of Kappa Delta sorority, and Kathekon, which services as the voice of the students for visiting alumni.

“I am so honored to receive the VFIC/Wachovia Scholarship and I greatly appreciate the financial assistance it brings as well as the opportunities it may provide,” Garson commented. She volunteers for W&L’s Nabors Service League which organizes student service placements within the community, and at Waddell Elementary School weekly reading with kindergarteners.

She also volunteers at W&L’s Campus Kitchen helping to deliver nutritional meals to community members.

Founded in 1952, the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges is a nonprofit fund-raising partnership supporting the programs and students of 15 leading private colleges in the Commonwealth, including W&L. The Wachovia Securities Scholarship program, administered by the VFIC, is provided to juniors who have academic promise and an interest in enhancing their future career opportunities in finance through an internship with a Fortune 500 company.