Scholarships & Awards
The Emily Jane Hilscher Passion Award
«Back to Scholarships & Awards page
The Emily Jane Hilscher Passion Award is given to exceptionally passionate, creative, spirited young people who live in Rappahannock County, Virginia.
 |
What Kind of Nominees Are Sought? Will Awards Be Given Every Year? How Will Nominations Be Submitted? |
About Emily
Emily Jane Hilscher was the beloved daughter of Eric and Elizabeth Hilscher, best friend and sister of Erica and granddaughter of Gilman and Mary Carlson and Carl and Merle Hilscher. She was born 2 June 1988 at Georgetown University Hospital.
From the moment Emily came into the world, she was strong, stubborn, loving, intelligent and beautiful. She had a sensibility way beyond her years. She wanted people to be happy. Emily searched for justice and worked to right wrongs without regard to her popularity. She collected friends of any age and any race and any talent. She loved them for their diversity and the gifts that each had to offer. She loved her sister beyond words; while Emily was the younger of the two, Emily was Erica’s protector. Emily had a love in her life, Karl Thornhill, and the mere mention of him made her eyes sparkle.
Emily was raised in the beautiful rural community of Rappahannock County, VA, where a day did not go by that she did not stop to take note of the beautiful mountains, the rolling fields and the wildlife and farm animals that fill it. It inspired her and she planned on returning to the county after graduation to make it her permanent home.
She was a graduate of Rappahannock County High School as a member of the Class of 2006. She was a skilled horsewoman, animal lover, enthusiastic cook, and imaginative artisan. She also had a tremendous sense of humor that brought forth much laughter at the dinner table.
Emily had a passion for horses. In the fall of 2006, she began what she hoped would be an eight-year journey at Virginia Tech that would have culminated with her becoming a veterinarian specializing in equine reproduction. She became a member of the Virginia Tech equestrian team in spring 2007.
Emily was murdered on 16 April 2007 along with 31 others on the Virginia Tech campus. Her family will mourn her loss forever, but celebrate the wondrous, yet short time, they had with her.
Emily was born with a special spark. She was a free spirit who knew how to dream big, reach for her dreams and help others reach for their dreams. She had great passion, for both people and animals. Passion Award recipients will be the kind of people Emily would have loved, and whose (perhaps hidden) potential she would have delighted in encouraging.
There is no application process for the Emily Jane Hilscher Passion Award. Candidates will be nominated by teachers and administrators at Rappahannock County High School, for review and selection by the Hilscher family. An award will be a surprise, coming “out of the blue,” communicating to the recipients that others recognize their special spark and want to invest in their future. More than just a cash windfall, the award will be a vote of confidence, providing recognition and acknowledgement to the recipient—the kind of encouragement Emily provided to so many of those she loved.
What Kind of Nominees Are Sought?
Nominees will be RCHS students or recent graduates. They may or may not be the students with the best grades, they may or may not be the most popular, they may or may not be the most mainstream, but they must have a real passion and a vision. The financial award is to assist the recipient in making that next step in exploring their vision. The most important thing is that they have a creative spirit, an inner fire, and an opportunity to pursue a dream that should not be missed.
The Award is not a scholarship in the strictest sense of the word. There will be no strings attached, in terms of grade-checking or progress-checking, and the funds need not be returned if the venture is unsuccessful. The funds are not to be used to get a student out of a jam. The Award is not renewable and recipients should not expect to seek more funds in the future.
A nominee may be heading to college, but perhaps is considering an alternate form of further enrichment such as vocational study, an apprenticeship, art school, chef school, rodeo clown school, an internship in agricultural practices, or the like.
When Are Awards Given?
Awards are normally announced in May of each year. Nominations for the May Awards should be submitted by 15 April. However, if a candidate with immediate opportunities or needs arises prior to that deadline, ad hoc nominations will be considered at other times.
Will Awards Be Given Every Year?
It is possible that a year may go by without a suitable candidate, in which case, there will be no Award given that year.
How Will Nominations Be Submitted?
Teachers and administrators will submit their nominations for the Award to Miranda Hope (or the Director of Next Step) or Jason Gochenour (or the Director of Guidance) by 15 April each year. Ms. Hope and Mr. Gochenour will gather the nominations, remove personal information that might make the nominees identifiable, and pass them on to the Hilscher family for consideration. In some cases, the family might request personal interviews with the teachers who made the nominations.
How Can I Get a Nomination Form?
RCPS teachers and administrators can obtain a form from the Guidance Department or the Next Step office.
How Much is the Award?
The Award is for no fixed amount. Depending on availability of funds and needs of the nominees, the family will decide how much to award each recipient.
How Can I Give to the Award Fund?
You can give securely online to the fund using the "DONATE NOW" link below, or send a check with "Hilscher Award" noted in the memo field to:
Headwaters
PO Box 114
Sperryville, VA 22740
When you click Donate Now, you'll be taken to a Network for Good transaction page.
Please enter
Hilscher Award
in the "Designation" box.
Donate Today
