For some reason, Regina DeCristofaro of Fairfax has known for years that she has wanted to be a nurse, like her grandmother. With some scholarship funding, DeCristofaro is on her way to achieving that goal.
"I'm flabbergasted. I wasn't expecting this at all," said the W.T. Woodson High School graduate. DeCristofaro will attend Villanova University in the fall. "I'm so honored, excited, and ready to go to school."
DeCristofaro, along with Robinson High School graduate Anna Fridlis, received a $1,500 scholarship award from the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. Since 1987, the Margaret Kilpatrick Adams Awards have been given to 38 Fairfax-area graduates, all in memory of Margaret Kilpatrick Adams, a Fairfax businesswoman.
Fridlis, who wasn't present at the scholarship luncheon that took place July 24, at the Fairview Park Marriott, will attend Brandeis University.
Keynote speaker and state Sen. Jay O'Brien (R-39th) encouraged the scholarship awardee to give back to the community by taking advantage of the opportunities she will encounter in college.
"Half of it is the opportunity that's available," O'Brien said. "The other half of it is the younger person who aspires to do great things. Be responsible, so when the opportunities are there, you can grasp them."
Fairfax resident Joseph Adams started the scholarship program after his wife passed away in 1986. They had founded Virginia Draperies and Interiors in 1964.
Margaret Kilpatrick Adams herself had received a scholarship to study law but couldn't accept it because it was during the Depression and she needed to support her family.
"She would always give me a hug and a kiss whenever I saw her in town," said Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce chairman Bruce Jennings.
The annual scholarship, funded by individual donations and the Taste of Fairfax, is available to students of Fairfax, Paul VI, Woodson and Robinson high schools.