D&E announces scholarship winner
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ELKINS -- Davis & Elkins College announced the winner of its Citizens Bank of West Virginia Emerging Leaders Scholarship, Troy Zorick, recently at Bridgeport High School.
Zorick is the recipient of a full, four-year scholarship that includes tuition, room, and board.
Davis & Elkins College, Citizens Bank of West Virginia, and WDTV have once again partnered for a fifth consecutive year to offer this unique scholarship competition.
All 2025 high school graduates, whether attending public, private, or homeschool, with a 3.00-or-higher GPA were eligible to apply. Applicants were required to submit a list of engagements across high school and within their respective communities, along with an essay centered on the topic, "If you receive this scholarship, how will you pay it forward to the state of West Virginia?"
"We are thrilled to welcome Troy as our 2026 Emerging Leader Scholarship recipient," says Senior Director of Enrollment Management & Student Success, Angie Scott.
"He embodies every quality we seek when selecting students for this prestigious honor," Scott said. "Troy is an exceptional young man, and we are genuinely excited for him to join us in the fall.
"His leadership, enthusiasm, and vibrant personality are truly infectious, and we are confident he will make an immediate and meaningful impact on our campus community," she said.
Zorick is the fifth recipient of this scholarship, continuing the trend established last year of each class being represented by its own distinguished Emerging Leaders Scholarship recipient. He is also the first male recipient of the scholarship in school history.
Zorick is a 4.0 student at Bridgeport High School and a member of the aerospace engineering program. He is the captain of the track and field and cross-country teams.
An injury plagued his sophomore year of athletics, where, upon rehabilitation, Zorick discovered the value of compassion and care by those who cared for him.
At Davis & Elkins College, Zorick plans to pursue a major in nursing, aiming to give back to patients in West Virginia with steady, understanding, and dedicated help.
"Davis & Elkins College welcomes yet another of the best and brightest of West Virginia high school seniors with the additions of Troy Zorick," shares D&E President Chris A. Wood.
"This outstanding young man wishes to become a nurse practitioner and remain in West Virginia to give back to the state that has given so much to him.
"In Troy's own words, he applied to Davis & Elkins College because of its prestigious nursing program, along with its nationally ranked cross country as well as track and field program," Wood said.
"Troy knows our nursing program and academic rigor well, as his grandmother graduated from the D&E nursing program in the 1990's. We are so proud to welcome the next generation from this family to the D&E community and know that Troy will be a leader on our campus and beyond.
"We are grateful to Citizen's Bank of West Virginia and WDTV for their sponsorship of our Emerging Leaders Scholars," Wood said
When asked by WDTV, Emerging Leaders Scholarship winner and D&E senior Sidney Megna added, "You are in for a lifechanging, wonderful four years…it's truly a beautiful community that you're becoming part of."
Davis & Elkins College offers more than 40 academic programs. Multiple scholarship opportunities are available including the College's annual $5.4 million investment in West Virginia students. D&E extends heartfelt congratulations to all who applied to become an Emerging Leader, who are undoubtedly the leaders of tomorrow by way of their distinction and excellence, officials said in a Davis & Elkins College press release.