Loudoun County, Va. — The Jeffrey C. Fowler Memorial Scholarship committee is pleased to announce Heritage High School senior Alex Carlin, Loudoun County High School senior Nohely Sanchez and Heritage High School senior Patrick Tyree as the 2017 recipients of the JCFM scholarship.
Carlin, Sanchez and Tyree will each receive a $1,000, nonrenewable scholarship to use at an accredited higher education institution starting in the 2017-2018 school year.
“We were so grateful to have so many fantastic applicants this year,” said Natalie Fowler, JCFM Scholarship Committee. “It wasn’t hard to narrow down the bunch as Alex, Nohely and Patrick all stood out. All three have a tremendous passion for sports and through active participation in their communities, have passed that passion along to future generations.”
The Jeffrey C. Fowler Memorial Scholarship recognizes a graduating senior from Loudoun County Public Schools each school year. To apply for the scholarship, LCPS seniors must write a 500-word essay titled “How My Passion for Sports Has Influenced My Life.”
Alex Carlin is a four-year member of the football and lacrosse programs at Heritage, who plans to attend Virginia Tech in the fall. On top of his athletic endeavors, Carlin also participates in the Heritage Varsity Club, volunteering at local elementary schools, reading with young students.
“His personality is rare for someone as talented as he is. He is consistently able to keep teammates engaged and expects them to follow his lead,” Heritage lacrosse head coach Jason Burke wrote. “Alex works hard to show teammates and coaches the right way to do things. Alex demonstrates awareness of his priorities – a strong work ethic, a purpose for his life, and a desire to consistently improve.”
Nohely Sanchez is a figure skater at Loudoun County, who plans to attend Northern Virginia Community College in the fall. Sanchez has such a passion for ice skating that, from a young age, she designed and sewed her own competition costumes with the help of her mom.
“Nohely has the aptitude to handle the most rigorous curricula, the determination to maximize her learning of any subject, the self-awareness to be an effective self-advocate, the competence to exceed all expectations on class assignments, and the gregariousness to be an effective team member on collaborative work,” Loudoun County science teacher Mike Weinstein wrote. “She is a quiet person by nature, but it is a quiet confidence. It is the manifestation of a quiet determination that leads her to stand out amongst her peers.”
Patrick Tyree is a four-year member of the baseball program at Heritage, who plans to attend Christopher Newport University in the fall. On top of his athletic endeavors, Tyree demonstrates his passion for sports, by passing it along to future generations as both a baseball and basketball coach.
“As I read the description of Mr. Fowler, I could not help but think that my young sons have had a similar experience with Patrick,” Central Loudoun Basketball League head coach Maurice Kessler wrote. “He comes to their games and cheers for them. He invites them to sporting events and teaches them the nuances and strategy of each game. They truly look up to him. Patrick’s love for sports is contagious.”
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. In three years, the JCFM scholarship committee has awarded eight students more than $5,000 in scholarship money.