More than 200 standout students of Ohio County Schools have received the prestigious Stifel Award.
A total of $134,000 was awarded to 218 deserving students as part of the 2021 Stifel Awards. The prizes were recently mailed to students. Stifel Trustees Diane Crowl, Paula McClure and Joan Stamp said there will be no Stifel Awards ceremony this year, but they noted that the event is expected to return in 2022. The trustees said they are proud to continue the Stifel Award tradition.
The Stifel prizes are named in honor of the late George E. Stifel who endowed a trust for encouragement of education in public schools. The Stifel Awards are given for academic achievement in the classroom and on standardized achievement tests. A student must have a grade-point average of 3.5 or better, must be a resident of Ohio County and must be a United States citizen to be eligible.
WesBanco of Wheeling is the administrator of the Stifel Trust. Ohio County Schools Federal Programs Director Walter Saunders thanked Stifel trustees for again rewarding and recognizing deserving students. He said students are not often awarded monetarily for classroom achievements. Saunders noted the award and the cash prizes are greatly appreciated by the recipients and their families.
Ohio County Schools plans to congratulate Stifel winners and highlight them on social media. Stifel winners are encouraged to have their picture taken holding their Stifel Award certificate and forward it to ocsstifel@wphs.ohio.k12.wv.us. The photos will be posted on social media as they are received.
George E. Stifel was born in Wheeling in 1849. He was the owner and operator of the Stifel Department Store in downtown Wheeling. He was known for his public service and philanthropy, and he was inducted into the Wheeling Hall of Fame in 1979. In 1926, Stifel created an endowment dedicated to forever fund the children of his city. He hoped the students would believe that a good education was “well worth the ambition, patient work and sacrifice which it may require.”
