Presenting the 2024 Marocchi Memorial Scholarship Recipients
Graduating High School Seniors from Fairfax and Prince George Counties and Current University of Virginia and Virginia Tech ROTC Students Earn Scholarships.
During the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Memorial Day Ceremony, the Virginia War Memorial announced the 2024 student recipients of the Marocchi Memorial Scholarships.
High School Recipients:
- Rudra Dave, a graduating senior at Chantilly High School in Fairfax County, Va., who will attend the University of Virginia this fall and participate in the U.S. Air Force ROTC program.
- Mikayla Moses, a graduating senior at Prince George High School in Prince George County, Va., who will attend James Madison University this fall and participate in the U.S. Army ROTC program.
College Recipients:
- Nicholas Dungan from Mechanicsville, Va., and who is currently a student and participant in the U.S. Air Force ROTC program at the University of Virginia.
- Justin Whitley from Mechanicsville, Va., and who is currently a student and participant in the U.S. Army ROTC program at Virginia Tech.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Craig Crenshaw joined Dr. Clay Mountcastle, Director of the Virginia War Memorial, in recognizing and congratulating the 2024 Marocchi Memorial Scholarship recipients at the 68th annual Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond on May 27.
“Educating our young men and women is one of the key missions of the Virginia War Memorial and awarding the Marocchi Memorial Scholarships each year during the Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony is always a rewarding experience for these students, their families and the many veterans and other Virginians who attend,” said Dr. Mountcastle. “These young men and women represent the best and the brightest and have chosen to serve their Nation as members of our Armed Forces after graduation. They deserve our admiration and respect.”
“This year, we had an exceptional pool of students who applied for these scholarships,” noted James Triesler, Virginia War Memorial Director of Education. “For this reason, it was determined to award four scholarships rather than two scholarships as in past years and we were blessed with the available funding to allow us to do so thanks to our public-private partnership with the Virginia War Memorial Foundation.”
The Marocchi Memorial Scholarships were established in 2015 in memory of the late Rear Admiral John Marocchi of Rappahannock County, Va. by his family and other donors and are administered by the nonprofit Virginia War Memorial Foundation.
Admiral Marocchi served with distinction in the United States Navy for decades in a career that spanned World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He was the recipient of the Purple Heart, Legion of Merit and was one of the few Navy officers to complete Army Airborne training. He was also a member of the Virginia War Memorial Board of Trustees for over fifteen years.
The Marocchi Memorial Scholarships are awarded annually by the Virginia War Memorial. Students enrolled in the senior class of an accredited public or private high school or home school program in the Commonwealth of Virginia or who are currently participating in a ROTC program at a Virginia college or university and who are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident at the time of application may apply.
Applicants must also plan to pursue a program of study in a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at a Virginia public or private university or be currently participating in a ROTC college program that may lead to service in the Armed Forces of the United States. Applicants must also possess an unweighted minimum Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) of 2.75.
Applications for the 2025 Marocchi Memorial Scholarships will open in September 2024.
Complete details, including application forms and a list of required documents, are available HERE or by contacting James Triesler, Virginia War Memorial Director of Education at james.triesler@dvs.virginia.gov.
