Edward P. McKenzie Family Trust Scholarship Awards Five St. Thomas H.S. Graduates

(L-to-R) Drew McKenzie, Edward McKenzie and Scott McKenzie are members of the Edward P. McKenzie Family Trust Scholarship Committee. (Submitted photo)

The Edward P. McKenzie Family Trust Scholarship has announced recipients of its 2021 scholarships on St. Thomas. Five outstanding applicants from the St. Thomas-St. John District will receive the scholarship award.

The scholarships, which were established by St. Thomas businessman Edward P. McKenzie, provide assistance to accomplished graduating high school seniors throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands and can range from $500 to $2,500. It can be used to fund any academic or school-related expenses, which could include travel, housing, tuition or support while away at school. The scholarship is offered on a semi-annual basis for high school graduates.

“It was wonderful to receive applications from so many superb, bright, ambitious graduating high school seniors. Their enthusiasm and excitement about pursuing their educational dreams was

apparent from their applications. The hardest part was deciding among so many qualified individuals,” said McKenzie, chairman of the scholarship committee.

“I am proud we can lend a helping hand to some fine graduates who plan to pursue college in the mainland. We know the costs are high, and students will confront expenses they didn’t anticipate,” said Scott McKenzie, a 2017 IEKHS graduate and recent graduate of Fordham University in New York.

Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each were awarded to five accomplished graduating seniors on St. Thomas:

Deja-Marie Simon is a recent graduate of VI Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy. She was a member of the Theater Club, Robotic Club and Art Club while in high school, and she graduated with a 3.4 GPA. She also participated in many exciting volunteer opportunities, including beach cleanups and teaching drawing courses for youths between 4 and 12 years old through Zoom. She plans to attend the Pratt Institute of Art, where she will be studying 2D animation and digital art.

J’Niya Challenger (Submitted photo)

J’Niya Challenger, who is a graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School, participated in a number of extracurricular activities at her high school, which included being a member of the Mighty Marching Hawks Jazz Band, Steady Tempo and the Trinity Youth in Action National Honors Society. She plans to attend Middle Tennessee State University, where she will be studying the music industry.

Jayni Blackwood (Submitted photo)

Jayni Blackwood graduated from Ivanna Eudora Kean High School and was a member of the National Honor Society. She was also chosen to be the secretary of the Science Honor Society in 2019. She holds an internship with St. John Signature Villas and Condos, where she provides assistance around the office. She also helped to create the business logo for SHE-E-O Academy in 2021. She plans to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she plans to study graphic design.

Tyler Lunz (Submitted photo)

Tyler Lunz is a recent graduate of Antilles School. He completed high school with an impressive 4.04 GPA and was instrumental in helping to organize school events and activities for his fellow classmates. He was also a member of the National Honor Society, Junior State of America, Diversity Club and Quiz Bowl. He plans to attend the University of Boulder to study atmospheric and oceanic services.

Eurnett Christopher (Submitted photo)

Eurnett Christopher graduated from Ivanna Eudora Kean High School where she was the vice president of the National Honor Society. She was also the president of the Science National Honor Society and as well as the president of the Future Farmers of America. She plans to attend Lafayette College, where she will be studying environmental science.

“We are incredibly proud of all of our award recipients,” said McKenzie.

To learn more about the Edward P. McKenzie Family Trust Scholarship, visit the website at www.EdwardPMcKenzieFamilyTrust.com.