Two W&M Students Honored as 2012 Anderson Scholars
Two William & Mary students - Jennifer Lynn Eaton, a second-year law student, and Molly Shreves Awad, a senior undergraduate student at the Mason School of Business - were honored as TowneBank's 2012 Alvin P. Anderson Scholars at a reception on September 18 at the bank's Monticello Avenue office in Williamsburg, Va. Each received a $5,000 scholarship and an inscribed crystal vase. The first two Anderson Scholars were selected in 2010. The program honors the contributions of the late Alvin P. Anderson, a 1970 graduate of the College of William & Mary and 1972 graduate of the Law School, who was a managing partner at Kaufman & Canoles.
During the reception, TowneBank Regional President Anne Conner spoke about the difficulty inherent in choosing the Anderson Scholarship recipients. "It's never an easy decision," she said, "if you get into the College of William & Mary, you're extraordinary." Ultimately, Eaton and Awad were selected based on their character and outstanding achievements.
Alvin P. Anderson practiced law at Kaufman & Canoles and was also a member of the firm's Executive Committee until shortly before his death in 2008. His civic contributions during his 36-year legal career were numerous. He served on TowneBank's Hampton Roads, Peninsula, and Williamsburg boards, and was a director of the Riverside Healthcare Association and a director of Hampton Roads Academy. He also was the commissioner in chancery and the commissioner of accounts for the circuit courts of the City of Williamsburg and James City County. Recipient of the William & Mary Alumni Medallion in 1998 in recognition of his professional achievements and his outstanding commitment to his alma mater, he also served as a member of the College's Board of Visitors, as a trustee of the Law School Foundation, and as president of the Alumni Association.
Eaton earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, where she majored in commerce. She currently serves on the Executive Board for William & Mary's student division of the Virginia Bar Association. She also serves as director of the university's Lettie Pate Whitehead Graduate Complex. Eaton said she hopes to work for a law firm in the Hampton Roads area after graduating from law school.
"I am truly honored to receive the award and be a part of Mr. Anderson's legacy," Eaton said. "From all that I have heard, Mr. Anderson was a remarkable gentleman, and I hope to guide my career by his example."
Awad, a marketing major, is a native of Richmond. She serves as the co-president of the Student Marketing Association. She also serves as a mentor for incoming business students, and she volunteers as a driver for the student-operated Steer Clear safe-ride program on weekend evenings. She said she hopes to establish her career in advertising in New York City or work in the local area in public relations or as a product specialist.
"I felt so honored when I found out that I had received the award," Awad said. "It meant that the committee saw something in me that reminded them of Mr. Anderson, and that made me feel very special. It's very rewarding to get any scholarship, but it is truly an honor to get an award that remembers someone who was so highly esteemed by his community."