Heaston Scholarship Program Recipients

Riley Barwidi

The Jack & Betty Heaston Memorial Scholarship - $6,000 each year for four years

Riley is a graduate of Nordonia High School in Macedonia, Ohio. In addition to being a four-year letter winner in volleyball and track, class vice president, and accumulating over 250 service hours, her GPA never fell below a 4.0. Growing up Riley struggled with reading and spelling and when she moved schools in 2nd grade it was apparent that she was way behind her peers. Through dedication and hard work, she not only caught up with her peers, she set a goal to finish in the top 10% of her graduating class. This spring she accomplished that goal and was invited to the Superintendent's awards dinner to be recognized for her hard work. Her work ethic carries over to all areas of her academics and athletics. She enjoys helping her peers with disabilities and is excited to begin her journey to become a Special Education teacher as she enters The Ohio State University in the fall of 2025.

Rishi Dhanasekaran

The Betty Y. Heaston Memorial Scholarship - $3,000 each year for four years

Rishi, a recent graduate of Souderton Area High School in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and a first-generation American with a strong commitment to leadership, service, and lifelong learning. During high school, he was a Distinguished Honor Roll student and worked hard to balance academics with a variety of extracurricular activities. Rishi served as captain of the varsity tennis team, co-president of the Academic Challenge Team, and a Pathway Ambassador. As a member of the National Honor Society, Rishi has been involved in several community service activities - volunteering at food drives, tutoring students, helping organize youth sports camps and cultural events, and raising funds for ALS and childhood cancer foundations. His experience as a caregiver for his terminally ill mother has shaped his sense of empathy and purpose in profound ways. With a deep passion for STEM, Rishi will be pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech this fall, with plans to attend medical school and specialize in neurodegenerative diseases. Rishi is excited to continue growing through learning and service, using science and innovation to improve lives.

Charles Gagne

The Jack Heaston Memorial Scholarship - $3,000 each year for four years

Charles is a recent graduate of Wakefield Memorial High School in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Charles will be attending Boston College in the fall of 2025. At Boston College, he plans to study finance in the Carroll School of Management, and he will be in a philosophy/theology program that requires 12 hours of community service per week. Charles has worked on numerous charitable projects since elementary school and has learned so much from these undertakings, he is happy to be able to carry on this type of service in college. Another one of his passions is sports. Over the years, he has played soccer, basketball, baseball, flag football and tennis and was a three-sport athlete throughout high school, serving as his soccer team's captain last fall. Charles has worked hard to bring his teams together, hosting and organizing many gatherings, such as pasta parties and backyard wiffle ball games. He has recently helped to start a summer basketball league for high school graduates so that they can stay connected to the sport, and he just joined a men's summer baseball league. Charles plans to continue sports and will play intramural sports and possibly club soccer at Boston College. He also enjoys hosting and organizing activities such as card games, trips to the beach, cooking competitions, backyard fires, and more. Since age six, Charles has been diagnosed with a tic disorder which at times has been quite painful and uncomfortable, but he has been fortunate to have the support of a loving family and community that has helped him reach his potential. Charles is extremely honored to have been chosen for the UCT Charities Heaston Scholarship and is grateful for the funds that will help with his college tuition. 

Luke Robertson

The Jack & Betty Heaston Memorial Scholarship - $6,000 each year for four years

Luke is a graduate of Riverton Parke High School in Montezuma, IN where he was class valedictorian and plans to attend Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute. He is a gifted young man who not only excelled academically, but athletically as well. Luke has many ties to local clubs in his hometown of Rockville, IN. He has a lifelong interest in space and space exploration with plans to major in aerospace or mechanical engineering at Rose-Hulman.

Brilee Mitchell

The Betty Y. Heaston Memorial Scholarship - $3,000 each year for four years

Brilee is a graduate of Bethlehem High School in Bardstown, KY. During her high school career, Brilee never received a grade below an A, even when enrolled in multiple advanced placement classes. She and family has dealt with serious illness of a family member, but Brilee was determined to help her family financially during trying times to pay medical bills. Through all this, Brilee was determined to maintain her stellar straight A academic standing. She has been active in many different charities in her hometown of Shepherdsville, KY. Brilee will be attending the University of Louisville and plans to major in engineering.

Aimy Tran

The Jack Heaston Memorial Scholarship - $3,000 each year for four years

Aimy is a graduate of Parkrose High School in Portland, OR. She is a first generation Asian-American who will be the first in her family to attend college. Upon reaching the United States, Aimy’s parents separated and moved to different states and left her to be raised by her grandmother and aunt. She was left with few resources to succeed, but due to her strong work ethic that she realized from her birth parents, she worked hard realize her dream of attending college. Aimy now helps her fellow students with little resources by running the Parkrose Food Pantry and Clothing Closet. She graduated with a 4.304 GPA with a schedule heavy in advanced placement courses. She has plans to attend Oregon State University and major in biohealth sciences.