Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro
High Point Central High was announced as this year’s winner of the Hubert B. Humphrey Jr. School Improvement Award on Wednesday during the annual State of Our Community event sponsored by the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce.
We are thrilled to announce and congratulate our 2024 scholarship recipients. These exceptional students have demonstrated remarkable academic achievement, leadership, and a commitment to their communities. From future educators to budding international relations experts, writers, scientists, and community leaders, each recipient embodies the values and aspirations our scholarships seek to support.
By addressing financial needs and rewarding excellence, these scholarships not only alleviate the financial burden of education but also inspire students to make a positive impact in their communities. This support helps build the next generation of leaders, ensuring a brighter future for students and the broader community.
Their hard work and dedication have earned them this well-deserved recognition, and we are excited to see the positive impact they will undoubtedly make in their future endeavors. Join us in celebrating their achievements and wishing them continued success on their educational journeys.
A scholarship in memory of one of Greensboro’s most beloved educational leaders has created a pathway to success for generations of Guilford County teachers.
When John R. Kernodle, Jr., died suddenly in 1995, at the age of 50, the News & Record announced his passing, saying, “Greensboro lost part of its conscience and its soul.”
John was beloved and admired for the many ways he served this community, the most notable of which was his role as chairman of the Guilford County Board of Education. His commitment to developing an outstanding school system for the children of Guilford County is surely one of his most enduring legacies.
A year after John’s death, a group of Guilford County citizens, working through the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, established the John R. Kernodle, Jr. Memorial Scholarship to honor the memory and life’s work of this incredible man.
Each year, one exceptional graduate of Guilford County Schools is the lucky recipient of this scholarship, which provides up to $10,000 each year for four years to cover tuition and fees, on-campus room and meals, and books and supplies as he or she pursues a degree in education.
In return, upon graduation, Kernodle Scholars are required to serve at least three years as a full-time teacher in grades K-12 in North Carolina public schools, preferably in Guilford County.
Every recipient of the John R. Kernodle Memorial Scholarship is special, but they are especially so to Lynn Wright Kernodle, John’s widow. She keeps a small photo album containing each Scholar’s graduation picture, along with their name, high school, graduation year, and where they attended college.
She knows each of their stories and delights in the fact that Kernodle Scholars get together, year after year, welcoming the new Scholars and creating a living legacy of educators.
To learn how you can honor a loved one while also making an impact in our community for years to come, contact us today.
After my husband and I moved to Greensboro in 1985, I soon learned of the fight for civil rights that took place right here in my newly adopted town. One person, in particular, was Dr. George C. Simkins, Jr., who was a community leader and civil rights activist. Born in Greensboro in 1924, Dr. Simkins was a well-known and respected dentist. In 1955, he and several other black men were arrested for trespassing after they played nine holes at the all-white, municipal Gillespie Golf Course. The men appealed their convictions to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against them in a 5-to-4 vote. Rather than integrate Gillespie, the city closed the course, reopening seven years later with Dr. Simkins the first to tee off.
Most notably, Dr. Simkins was involved in a court action to desegregate Moses Cone and Wesley Long Community Hospitals. You can find a permanent reminder near Cone Hospital where a plaque describes the role Dr. Simkins played in this landmark case.
In 2010, Dr. Simkins’ friends and family chose the Community Foundation as a home for The George C. Simkins, Jr. Scholarship. To date, almost $200,000 in scholarships have been awarded to high school students of color. This scholarship is a permanent reminder that there was once a brave, dedicated African American who was committed to equality and would surely be proud to see that his legacy is being honored in this way.
Connie Leeper, Donor Services Manager
