Loudoun County, Va. — For more than ten years, the Jeffrey C. Fowler Memorial Scholarship has recognized deserving students in Loudoun County Public Schools. To apply for the scholarship, graduating LCPS seniors write a 500-word essay using the prompt “How My Passion for Sports Has Influenced My Life”. Each applicant must also enroll as a full-time student at an accredited college or university and submit two letters of recommendation in addition to the essay.
In 2026, the scholarship committee received more than 100 applicants, which were narrowed down to ten finalists. From there, Freedom High School graduate Angelina Aziz, Loudoun Valley High School graduate Maddie Gammache, and Independence High School graduate Emma Mosser were selected as the 2026 recipients of the JCFM Scholarship, and each received a $4,000 non-renewable scholarship to use at an accredited higher education institution for the 2026-2027 school year.
“Angelina, Maddie, and Emma were all stand out students and role models at their respective high schools—and will all make lasting impacts on the lives they touch in college and beyond,” JCFM Scholarship President Owen Gotimer said. “All three have a tremendous passion for sports, and through active participation in their communities, have passed that passion along to future generations.”
Angelina Aziz was a member of the Freedom High School volleyball program, where she became interested in learning more of the technical nuances of the game. She began working as a referee for a recreational league and through this experience gained leadership skills and built confidence. Angelina also shadowed Freedom’s athletic trainer, Gary Lewis, through the Athletic Training Student Aide program, which fueled her desire to study kinesiology at James Madison University this fall.
“Angelina has been a remarkable student!” Lewis wrote. “She displays a genuine passion, curiosity, and commitment to the field of sports medicine for her future career, and has taken every available opportunity to expose herself to the material and environment of orthopedic medicine. Her academic transcripts speak volumes to her abilities as a student; however, these cannot capture the many positive qualities she displays in the clinical learning environment—empathy for others, motivated by self-improvement, a positive attitude, and a high energy.”
Watching sports together was a favorite pastime for Maddie Gammache and her family. Although her soccer-playing days were short-lived, despite her brother’s instruction and invitations to join him, her athleticism eventually led her to ballet, where she learned perseverance and found the same support that existed for her brother on his sports teams. Looking to use some of the skills and patience her brother displayed with her early on, Maddie aims to become a teacher and will be attending James Madison University this fall to study elementary education.
“Maddie has shared her aspiration to pursue higher education with the goal of becoming an educator,” LCPS Director of School Counseling Cynthia Fillman wrote. “She brings a strong sense of purpose to her career goals and is genuinely motivated to be the kind of adult who makes a meaningful difference in the lives of young people—bringing empathy, resilience, and intellectual curiosity to the field of education.”
Although Emma Mosser spent many years in the theater world, she discovered that sports offered her something unexpected: a community built around shared purpose. Working in fan engagement for a summer baseball team, emceeing her high school pep rallies, and serving as a manager for the volleyball team opened her eyes to new possibilities and pointed her on a new path. Emma has decided to study sport management at the University of South Carolina this fall.
“Emma took an internship with the Winchester Royals—a collegiate summer baseball team—where she worked in fan engagement: selling raffle tickets in the crowd, setting up games for fans’ kids, and working with their social media,” Independence Student Council Association Advisor Matt Ellis wrote. “It was an opportunity that allowed Emma to bring together many of her passions—sports, community engagement, and promotions. That internship also solidified for Emma what it is that she wants out of university life: not only a rigorous academic experience, but also an engaging community, an active and passionate sports program, and ample opportunities for both leadership and service.”
The majority of the funds for the Jeffrey C. Fowler Memorial Scholarship are raised during two annual fundraising events: cornhole each spring and mini golf each fall. Please consider sponsoring and/or joining for the next event!
About the Jeffrey C. Fowler Memorial Scholarship
Jeff Fowler, or “Fig” as his Patriot teammates called him, was a 1983 graduate of Park View High School, where he played baseball and basketball for the Patriots. On and off the field, Jeff Fowler dedicated his life to his family and teaching his 15 nieces and nephews – hence the moniker Uncle Jeff – everything he could about sports, but more importantly served as a lifelong role model for everyone he ever met.
On March 23, 2013, Uncle Jeff lost his 14 -year battle with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. In 2015, Jeff Fowler’s family started a scholarship in his honor to give back to local students who display remarkable passion for sports. The JCFM Scholarship committee has awarded nearly $75,000 to 31 students over the past decade.