Students majoring in religious studies at Catawba College will benefit from the recently established Raffaelli Family Foundation Scholarship.
The new scholarship was established at the discretion of a foundation board member, Thomas Burdette, a 1973 Catawba graduate from Clifton, Va.
Burdette owns the Burdette Smith Group P.C., a CPA firm in Fairfax. He explained that a longtime client who had no heirs set up a foundation during his estate planning. That foundation, funded upon the client’s death, had instructions on specific charities, including two churches and an animal rescue group. It also allowed its two directors to exercise discretion in distributing some of the net asset value to recognized charities.
“I had the discretion as a member of the board to make a donation to any qualified charity that I chose, and I chose Catawba,” Burdette said.
Burdette majored in accounting at Catawba and was a starter in the defensive secondary for the Catawba Indians all four of his undergraduate years under Coach Harvey Stratton. He was also active in intramurals, treasurer of both the Student Government Association and Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a member of the Accounting Club. He was named to Who’s Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges during his senior year.
He started his own CPA firm in the Washington, D.C., area at age 27. Today his firm has approximately 40 employees and his area of expertise is dealing with high income, high net worth individuals who. for the most part, own their own businesses.
He has served on Catawba’s board of visitors and supported fundraising efforts related to the institution’s football program, including generous contributions to the Shuford Stadium construction and the grassroots campaign which raised funds for stadium lights.
In 2007, he made a presentation on “Quarterbacking Your Firm” to students in the Ketner School of Business.
Knollwood awards
Knollwood Elementary recently recognized the following students who expressed the true meaning of responsibility and self discipline with Character Awards for September:
Kindergarten: Horacio Araujo, Lindsey Conrad, Jaqueline Sequndo-Escobar, Cynthia Sanns, Jacqueline Oliva, Maria Estrada, Cesar Campuzano, Jaya Parks, Alejandro Barrera, Heather Hamilton, Madison Allman, Jaret Livengood, MaKayla Chambers, Cameron Pyle, Jakob Galloway and Carly Green.
First grade: John Sokolowski, Taylor Conrad, Krystal Ortiz, Jackson Price, Kevin Giordillo, Lizabeth Hernandez, Brandon Yow, Sierra Ratliff, Tatianna Withers, Emily Myers, Grissel Medina and Dylan Lord.
Second grade: Lisa Roberts, Alexis Ortiz-Hernandez, Jenifer Castillo, Selma Mustafic, Cade Bernhardt, Amanda Ward, Jeremy Clark, Samantha Stowe, Naizer Sherrill and Kelly Frye.
Third grade: Elizabeth Bartlett, Duke McDaniels, Jimmy Ruiz, Onnah Houghton, Julia Stockwell, Daniel Leonard, Lacy Ceremony, Jose Nava Sanchez and Rebekah Lippard.
Fourth grade: Sara Wong, Michael Sullivan, Mandy Cox, Keely Proctor, Norisbel Salazar, Jesus Sanchez, Michael Hall and Zoey Espinoza.
Fifth grade: Maggie Hollar, Brian Aragon, Erika Davis, Carlos Cortes, Fallon Ritchie, Zackary Marchinko, Jose Ruano, Jacob McCora, Cameron Carroll, Kharisma Tucker, Bailey Campbell and Cesar Reyes.
Bostian Good Citizens
Bostian Elementary School recently recognized the following students as September Good Citizens for going above and beyond what is expected of them at school:
Kindergarten: Nick Nance, Anna Rymer, Angelina Ochoa, David Graham, Corie Jones, Kaidyn Waggoner, Sydney Hardman and Jeffrey Watson.
First grade: Jacob Barringer, Olivia Gardner, Grace Christy, Brandon Barrera, Elise Bost and Thomas Bost.
Second grade: Adeline Watson, Carter Rodgers, Kelsie Ritchie, Braxton Black, Dylan Johnson and Brooklyn Davis.Third grade: Ren Cress, Kaitlyn Stout, Spencer Washam, Elizabeth Haff, Maxwell Steele, Kateland Baker and Ian Ramirez.
Fourth grade: Hope Burton, Matthew Beaver, Carlos Ordonez and Megan Loan.
Fifth grade: Ryan Bearden, Alia Bennett, Logan Parker, Kendall Howard, Annah Stout and Garrett Pell.