On May 1, 2025, Fauquier High School (FHS) celebrated its seniors and their accomplishments at the annual scholarship night. This night is dedicated to the seniors who apply for local scholarships to recognize their outstanding academic, sports-related and extracurricular activities to people willing to invest in their achievements. Family, friends, educators and sponsors all gathered in the auditorium to celebrate this year’s scholarship recipients.
The night began with a dedication speech from Dr. Ferguson, the FHS principal, who emphasized the importance of perseverance, hard work and taking pictures with family to keep everyone happy. The first scholarship presented by Lt Col (RET) Waldron, was to Senior Andrew Mossman, as a full ride to the United States Air Force Academy. Mossman’s achievement was met with raucous applause as it recognized his hard work throughout high school and his dedication to serve. Valued at approximately $360,000, this was the largest scholarship of the night. Closely followed was Senior Sam Pacassi’s scholarship, presented by Captain Brad Snider to the Virginia Military Institute, valued at approximately $160,000.
Over the rest of the night, numerous scholarships were awarded to valued students; however, a few stood out for receiving multiple awards or for particularly prestigious recognitions. Seniors Ryan Toothman and Pidge Church each received a $10,000 scholarship from the Warrenton Presbyterian church, memorializing J. Richard Winters and his 30 years of service to his church and community. This legacy is reflected in both Toothman’s and Church’s involvement with the community, academics and grades. Senior Maggie Arnold was another large recipient of numerous awards and sums. One of these awards included the Patrick Gay Memorial JMU Scholarship that commemorated the life of Patrick, who was in a fatal accident with a drunk driver. This scholarship award was $15,000 and brought Arnold’s sums to over $18,000 by the end of the night, portraying just how much effort Arnold put into her high school resume over the years. One of the last scholarships awarded was from the Jesse and Rose LOEB Foundation Scholarship, which awarded $20,000 to senior Anthony Garcia Rangel and was FHS’s third-largest scholarship of the night. This was due to Garcia Rangel’sl exceptionally hard work, learning English in under 7 years and going to UVA for nursing.
Adding new scholarships each year expands the diversity of opportunities available to students, broadening the range of possibilities for their future success. This year, in addition to the list of available scholarships, two new awards were given to deserving students. One was the Chad Scott Waddell, which specializes in trade students looking for work straight out of high school. This was a $1,200 scholarship received by Carson Ashby and Fern Alatorre-Arredondo. The second was the Vashon J.J. Jefferson, memorializing the death of Jefferson in the Bridgewater shooting in 2022. This was looking for students who wanted to go into Criminal Justice or other related fields, highlighting the dedication and strength of Jefferson in his final moments. This was awarded to Kenza Chienku and was a total of $1,000.
The evening ended a night of awarding the achievements of the 2025 class, providing much-deserved recognition for the educational excellence, academic prowess and all that makes a falcon, a falcon. Congratulations to the recipients of all of these awards. This is just the beginning of the incredible journey of the future.
