Portsmouth, Va. –Elizabeth River Crossings has awarded eight local high school graduates with its annual Good Citizen Scholarship, which commends students who consistently reflect excellence in character, demonstrate leadership, and make positive contributions to both their school and community.
Each year, eight graduating seniors, one from each public high school in Portsmouth and Norfolk, are selected to receive a $6,000 scholarship, disbursed in $1,500 increments across four years, for any college, trade school or post-secondary institution. Since 2016, ERC has awarded nearly $300,000 to local high school seniors.
This year’s recipients were actively involved in extracurricular activities such as varsity sports, choir, National Honor Society, orchestra, Key Club and more. They also had various internships and fellowships affiliated with their city and other organizations. Many served as leaders in their school’s NJROTC program, student government association, Black student union, and on sports teams. Lastly, these students are dedicated volunteers in their community, church, and school.
“We are so proud to support these esteemed students on the next chapter of their academic journey. As a transportation infrastructure company, we’re pleased that several of this year’s recipients want to pursue a career in STEM. I also want to recognize them for their commitment to serving their communities. It’s our hope that they continue to make a positive impact wherever they go,”said Anna Bonet, chief executive officer.
Last week, all scholarship recipients from the classes of 2016-2023 were invited to ERC’s headquarters for a celebration event where they received a tour of the customer service call center and Downtown Tunnel control room.
The 2023 ERC Good Citizen Scholarship recipients are:
- Sakiah West, I.C. Norcom High School
- Makayla Smith, Manor High School
- Loic Nignan, Booker T. Washington High School
- Evelyn Page, Granby High School
- Shamiya Miller, Lake Taylor High School
- Ashleigh Givens, Norview High School
- Javier St. Remy, Maury High School
- Naashra Aikens, Churchland High School
In the fall, these recipients will be attending the University of Pennsylvania, UNC Greensboro, Hampton University, James Madison University, Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, Roanoke College and Virginia State University.
Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC), officially Elizabeth River Crossings OpCo, LLC, is a limited liability company owned by Abertis and Manulife Investment Management. ERC’s sole purpose is to finance, deliver, operate and maintain the Elizabeth River Crossings facilities which include the Downtown and Midtown Tunnels and the MLK Freeway extension, as part of a 58-year public-private partnership (PPP or P3) with the Virginia Department of Transportation. ERC also provides incident response for the West Norfolk and Berkley Bridges, although operations of these bridges remain with VDOT.