The Shepherd University Foundation announces the awarding of four scholarships as part of the Rural Financial Planning Project (RFPP). These annual scholarship awards recognize outstanding Shepherd students who are pursuing concentrations in financial planning and who are active with the Shepherd Financial Planning Association Student Chapter.

The mission of the RFPP is to improve the lives of rural Americans through the promotion of financial literacy and the delivery of financial planning by well-trained and ethical financial planning professionals. The program is committed to providing mentoring, employment and scholarships for students, resulting in the creation of four named funds. Scholarship recipients are chosen by an advisory board in collaboration with Shepherd’s business administration faculty.

Junior business administration major Rebecca Blevins, of Bunker Hill, was awarded the National Capital Area Financial Planning Association Scholarship. Blevins currently works as an intern at HFI Wealth Management, based in Shepherdstown with offices in Winchester, Va. The company’s CEO Rob Hoxton established the Rob and Mary Logan Hoxton Financial Planning Scholarship, which was awarded to Melanie Vincent, of Hedgesville, a senior majoring in business administration. Hoxton was instrumental in the creation of the RFPP and serves as an advisor to the FPA’s student chapter at Shepherd.

“The idea is to train well-educated financial planning professionals who will work in their hometowns and improve the lives of rural Americans,” Hoxton said. “The RFPP advisory board works with Shepherd’s academic program to guide and support students pursuing careers in this highly respected and lucrative profession.”

Senior accounting major Virginia Hutson, of Falling Waters, was awarded the John and Lisa Wolff Financial Planning Scholarship. John Wolff, CEO and managing director of Virginia-based Capital Fiduciary Advisors and a Shepherd alumnus, was eager to join Hoxton in launching the program.

“When Rob Hoxton called me to describe this initiative, I signed on immediately,” said Wolff. “Personally, I am very excited for Shepherd-my alma mater-the certified financial planner program and industry, and current and future students. Our country and society deserve financial literacy, families and institutions need qualified financial planners, and what better way to start than during the formal educational stage to begin ‘producing’ certified financial planners.”

Senior Jennie Tomcho, of Martinsburg, was the recipient of the Rural Financial Planning Scholarship. A business administration major with a concentration in financial planning, Tomcho also serves as president as the FPA’s student chapter at Shepherd.

“I am so honored to have received this scholarship,” Tomcho said. “It has relieved stress and allowed me to concentrate more on my studies.”

To learn more about the Rural Financial Planning Project, visit www.shepherd.edu/bafcweb/financial-planning/ or www.ruralplanner.com/.

For more information about how to eastablish a named fund through the Shepherd University Foundation, contact Monica Lingenfelter, Shepherd University Foundation, P.O. Box 5000, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443-5000, 304-876-5397, mlingenf@shepherd.edu or visit www.shepherd.edu/fndtnweb.