Calling an education “a lasting gift that should be available to all children,” a bequest of the late Marshall A. Guill Jr. has endowed a new scholarship to help Wilkes County children pay for their higher education.

Guill taught agriculture for years in Wilkes County and rose to Superintendent of Schools, where he served for some 20 years – the turbulent times from 1960 to 1980.

In a letter to then-superintendent David Garrard, Guill wrote that in his 41 years with the Wilkes County school system, “I saw doors opened, horizons broadened, and successful lives built through education.”

But, he said, “I saw opportunities missed and talents underdeveloped because financial resources were not available to fund education beyond high school.”

For that reason, he said, “It is my request that funds generated from the Washington-Wilkes Scholarship Fund be awarded to qualifying students of Wilkes County who seek higher education and have demonstrated strong personal character, academic potential, and who, in addition, qualify for financial need.”

The Washington-Wilkes Scholarship Fund is designed to provide financial assistance for higher education to students of Wilkes County for undergraduate studies at degreegranting colleges, universities, and technical schools.

The fund will be administered by the Wilkes County Board of Education under a scholarship committee consisting of the board chairman and the principal and the counselor of W-WCHS.

Applicants must submit their applications by March 15 each year, and awards will be made at Honors Day ceremonies at the high school. Students selected by the scholarship committee may renew their applications to receive funds for up to four years, as long as they remain in good standing and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Guill said in his letter to Garrard that he hoped that his endowment would not be the sum total of the scholarship fund. “I invite and encourage citizens of Wilkes County and former students of the Wilkes County school system to contribute to this Scholarship Fund,” he wrote. “By building a larger principal, this Fund will generate more resources and, thus, be able to better serve the young people of Wilkes County.”

Anyone can donate to the Washington Wilkes Scholarship Fund by contacting Wilkes County School Superintendent Joyce Williams.