FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HILL, ESTRADA RECEIVE RURITAN CLUB SCHOLARSHIPS

DANVILLE, VA, November 16, 2006 – Justin Hill of Halifax and Angelica Maria Estrada of Vernon Hill are

two Danville Community College students who know firsthand that serving the community’s needs can render financial rewards.

Their dedication to their communities coincides with the National Ruritan Foundation’s mission to “build a better America through Fellowship, Goodwill and Community Service.”  For their efforts, the two students are the recipients of the Ruritan National Foundation Scholarships for the 2006-2007 academic school year.

The Ruritan National Foundation, an organization founded in 1928 with nearly 34,000 members with local affiliate chapters, works closely with community organizations, recreational centers and other programs to assist the area’s needs. Also, both the Ruritan National Foundation and the local Ruritan Clubs provide scholarships to assist college-bound students with tuition and books.

Both Hill and Estrada received the Mac Hodnett and Milly Spencer Ruritan Scholarships from the Wilson Memorial Ruritan Club, gaining a total of $600 each.

According to Conway Goodman, the Foundation Chairman of the Dan River District, most clubs give one scholarship, but the Wilson Memorial Club hands out two. In total, the Ruritan National Foundation awarded 425 scholarships, says Conway Goodman, who ensures that all 42 clubs in the Dan River District receive the finances they need.

“Ruritan is a community service organization that strives to create a better world for all people in the community by offering assistance with food, disaster relief, environmental projects and scholarships to deserving students,” says Jean Goodman, Newsletter Chairman of the Wilson Memorial Ruritan Club. “We select scholarship applicants who are active in serving the community, first and foremost.”

As the local Wilson Memorial Ruritan Scholarship recipient, Hill is a 2006 graduate of Halifax County High School and is the son of Ricky and Cheryl Hill. Hill is currently attending DCC, and has double majors in Information Systems Technology - Computer Programming and Microcomputer Specialization. He expects to complete both Associate of Applied Science Degree programs in May 2007.

Hill recently was honored as an Eagle Scout at the Oak Level Presbyterian Church. He credits his scout training from the Halifax Boy Scout Troop 410 - Vernon Hill for preparing him for adulthood by teaching him independence, the importance of teamwork, and the ability to build lasting friendships.

“An Eagle Scout is the highest honor in the Boy Scout organization,” Hill says. “Scouts have to present an Eagle Scout project to the community they serve. The purpose of Eagle Scout projects is to help the community to look better or to provide availability to another group of people.”

He says his scout master suggested that the community would appreciate having a large wooded area cleared. So Hill and two friends, fellow scouts Chris Ammons and Jake Newcomb, spent almost one year clearing a large, old, church cemetery that rested in the middle of the woods behind his community. Hill explains that the cemetery belonged to an older church that burned down years ago. Now it is considered to be part of Mount Vernon Baptist Church.

“We cleared it step by step; we cut the brush, chopped trees and it took well over a year because the area is two-thirds the size of a football field,” said Hill. “We worked at the cemetery every Sunday from 12-5 p.m. all summer long. We also made a map of the cemetery, including the location of the tombstones and names on the tombstones.”

To render her community service, Estrada has volunteered to serve the troop’s members, family, and friends at an Eagle Scout Honor Court, says Jean Goodman, whose husband, Conway, is the troop’s retired scoutmaster of 30 years.

“Angelica is a lovely young woman,” says Jean Goodman. “She volunteers her help when needed. She also helps clean the roadside and assist her elderly neighbors.”

Her community service and academic achievement in DCC’s Administration of Justice program helped her earn the scholarship award. Estrada says the scholarship is a blessing that will help her continue her education.

“It is wonderful, just wonderful to have the help,” says Estrada, who is a 2005 graduate of Halifax County High School.

Estrada is the daughter of Shelia Davis of Vernon Hill and Ramiro Estrada of Ringgold, Va. She will graduate in May 2007 with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Administration of Justice. She then plans to pursue a baccalaureate degree in criminal justice at Old Dominion University.

“I want to eventually work for the federal bureau prison, in the Butner Federal Corrections Complex in Butner, North Carolina as a case manager. I want to counsel the inmates,” Estrada says.

As an active member of the DCC Justice Club and a regular fixture on the Vice President’s Honor’s List, Estrada excels in extracurricular activities, as well as academics. She is also a volunteer at her church.

Estrada believes it is important to be involved in the community, and says it is fulfilling to help others.

“Regardless of the size of your community, people need to care for each other and work for its betterment,” Estrada says. “Lending a hand not only makes you feel like you have done a good deed, but it may inspire someone to help you in your time of need.”

Both Hill and Estrada advise other students to take advantage of all opportunities for scholarships and to apply for as many scholarships as possible.

“Counselors tell us that people, businesses and organizations are just giving the scholarship money away,” says Hill. “So, students need to take initiative and apply for scholarships to help finance your college education.”