2023 Scholarship Recipient: Vivien Helen Hines
Our recipient for 2023 is Vivien Helen Hines. Vivien has been accepted to, and she has committed to, study at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Her plans are to follow her keen interest in the constantly changing climate. She wants to…
“Create a sustainable future for our society. As global warming grows more detrimental and irreversible, my desire to make a difference grows stronger.”
When not studying and maintaining her 4.0 (unweighted ) GPA, she has worked and volunteered at the Forsyth Humane Society, Crisis Control Ministry, Crossnore Food Bank Garden, Anthony’s , and Camp Sprout. At RJR she has been a member of the Girls Council, and the A capella group. She was also a member of the RJR cross country team, the swim team, and the track and field team.
Vivien stated in her application she has a tattered water bottle, covered in stickers she carries everywhere. Her favorite sticker reads… “make yourself proud.” We know she will represent the Class of 1968 well.
2022 Scholarship Recipient: Jarod Alexandra Brown
Selected to receive the Class of 1968 Memorial Scholarship this year was Jarod Alexandra Brown. Jarod will use his $32,000.00 award to attend UNC – Charlotte. He looks forward to studying Computer Science and Engineering and to designing programs and web applications. Jarod noted on his application…
“I am beyond determined to accomplish my goals with utmost effort … aiding others helps me learn new lessons as I open my eyes to the perspectives of others and try and run a mile in their shoes.”
2021 Scholarship Recipient: Elizabeth Marshall
Selected to receive the Class of 1968 Memorial Scholarship this year was Elizabeth Hanan Marshall. Elizabeth will use her $25,000.00 award to attend Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. When asked “What are your plans after college, Elizabeth?”, her response was,
My plans are to study Spanish and study the world of business, problem solving, and engineering.
When not in class, Elizabeth teaches horseback riding and is fluent in Spanish.
2020 Scholarship Recipient: Arwen Baker
Arwen Baker is a graduating senior from R. J. Reynolds High School who is going to DePaul University in Chicago to study theatrical lighting design. Over the past four years, they have volunteered countless hours to community and school theatre and A Capella. These activities have offered them significant opportunities to gain the skills, experience, and confidence they will need as a young professional. What Arwen enjoys most is how fulfilling it is to share their love of all these art forms with the community, especially theater and lighting design. Arwen is looking forward to continuing to learn and grow through their college experience, and on into their career.
I am extremely grateful and honored to be selected as the 2020 recipient for the R. J. Reynolds Class of 1968 Scholarship. Your generosity will make my dream of going to DePaul University truly possible and I can never thank you enough for that.
I hope everyone in your family and the rest of the class of 1968 are staying safe and healthy during these uncertain times!
Best wishes,
Arwen Baker2019 Scholarship Recipient: Kalynn Tierra Knox
Kalynn Knox is our 2019 Scholarship recipient. She plans to attend Wake Forest University and become a Nurse Practitioner.
She has a passion for helping others and has shown that through her involvement in various community service projects. She’s spent extensive time during all four years of high school volunteering in homeless shelters, her local church and assisted living facilities. She has sacrificed a lot personally to work hard in school and at her job to get where she is today. She was honored with the Outstanding Youth Leader award at her church four years in a row and was also the team captain on her basketball team in school.
With her career choice as a Nurse Practitioner, she hopes to carry on her passion for helping others and would like to one day open her own health facility.
2018 Scholarship Recipient: Amy Zinnia
Amy Zinnia is our 2018 Scholarship recipient. Amy was born in Garut, a small town in Indonesia and moved to the US when she was eight years old. Knowing only how to say “yes” and “no” in English when she arrived, Amy had to work hard in and out of school to understand the material she was being taught here. She has now graduated with Honors and plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she will study mathematics and then transfer to NC State to obtain a degree in Civil Engineering.
During high school, Amy was Vice President of the Reynolds Arts Service Club, Treasurer of the Reynolds Girls Council, and Treasurer of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Her favorite community service was The Diaper Bank of NC where she wrapped 100 packs of diapers for families in need. She has also volunteered her time to the outreach program at Phillips Chapel Baptist Church distributing school supplies to the community. Amy helped with the WSFCS STAND UP/STEP UP Against Bullying Walk; the Winston-Salem Air Show; and was a Student Ambassador of RJR where she helped inform parents about the school. During her last 3 years at RJR she was a part of the All-County Orchestra and competed her way into the repertory group as a first violinist.
Amy loves helping her community and those less fortunate and says her desire in obtaining a college degree in Civil Engineering is to be able to help as many communities around the world as she can.
2017 Scholarship Recipient: Johanna Silva
Johanna Silva is our 2017 Scholarship recipient. Johanna was born in 1999, in New York City, to a Dominican mother and a Puerto Rican father. Her family moved to Winston-Salem when she was 5 years old. Johanna attended Brunson Elementary School and Wiley Middle School prior to her career at RJRHS. During high school, Johanna ran track her freshman through junior years and was winter track captain during this time. She also ran cross-country all four years.
Johanna was a member and vice-president of the Spanish Club. She was a volunteer at Habitat for Humanity, a volunteer tutor at El Buen Pastor, and a volunteer soccer coach at the YMCA. Johanna was Student of the Year in Spanish and Environmental Science her sophomore and junior years, a Junior Marshal, and a four-year Scholar Athlete. Johanna states she has always pushed herself to take rigorous classes and striven for good grades throughout her scholastic career, with education being the number one priority in her life. Johanna is very excited to attend Wake Forest University where she plans to major in Business with a focus in Finance.
2010 Scholarship Recipient: Rebecca Martin
Scholarship Recipients
| Year | Scholarship Winner | Presenter |
| 1999 | Tsz-Yin (Jeremy) So | Molly Piner Brown |
| 2000 | Leslie Clark | Michael Swain |
| 2001 | Ellen Gwin | Principal Stan Elrod |
| 2002 | Anna Ledbetter | Larry Little |
| 2003 | Toni Grace | Woody Fox |
| 2004 | Seema Banger | Principal Stan Elrod |
| 2005 | Marco Mata | Peter Hawley |
| 2006 | Trey Miller | Bill Spaulding |
| 2007 | Tim Hairston | Bill Seippel |
| 2008 | Mona Xiao | Nancy Gheesling Streblow |
| 2009 | Terell Lamont Kirby | Terry Key |
| 2010 | Rebecca Martin | Mary Adams Cheek Nicholson |
| 2011 | Zoe Detter | Nancy Gheesling Streblow |
| 2012 | Meredith Johnson | David Fuller |
| 2013 | Sofia Lyons | Molly Piner Brown |
| 2014 | Francesca Bowman Miller | Kristie English Graham (’69) |
| 2015 | Chloe Valentina Clements | Sandra Johnson Chitty |
| 2016 | Bethany Jean Ebbitt | Evans Fisher (’71) |
| 2017 | Johanna Silva | Jim Martin |
| 2018 | Amy Zinnia | David Fuller |
| 2019 | Kalynn Tierra Knox | Karen Hancock Blackwelder |
| 2020 | Arwen Baker | Dr. Leslie Alexander |
| 2021 | Elizabeth Marshall | Elizabeth Sloan |
| 2022 | Jarod Brown | Mary Adams Nicholson |
To see photos and information regarding Ed Gannaway and our Scholarship Recipients from 1999 to 2022, please click this link which takes you to the RJR Alumni Association website: