UVA Wise TRIO announce Heise Scholarship recipients 

February 04, 2021

Brittany Johnson and Christopher Smith were selected as the Julia R. Heise Scholarship recipients effective spring 2021. Brittany is a first-year student pursuing a major in psychology and minor in leadership studies. She aspires to be a clinical psychologist, specializing in mood and personality disorders. She was a member of the TRIO Upward Bound program at UVA Wise for three years and is currently a member of TRIO Student Support Services. 

Christopher Smith is pursuing a major in nursing with a minor in business administration.  He plans to be a certified registered nurse anesthetist and work at a hospital in the Southwest Virginia region. He is also a first-year student and current member of Student Support Services.

The scholarship is named for retired UVA Wise faculty member Julia R. Heise who served as director of both TRIO Upward Bound and Student Support Services from 1975 to 1995.  From 1995 until her retirement in 2000, Heise was the Student Support Services Director, Associate Provost for Educational Support Services, and the College’s compliance officer for the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Recipients meet TRIO criteria for eligibility and have earned a grade point average of 2.5 or better. Students must also submit an application and short essay about how TRIO programs benefit students. 

TRIO programs help first generation, low-income students and those with disabilities overcome class, social, academic, and cultural barriers to higher education. Pre-college TRIO programs provide assistance in choosing a college; tutoring; personal and financial counseling; career counseling; assistance in applying to college; workplace and college visits; special instruction in reading, writing, study skills, and mathematics; and assistance in applying for financial aid.

College TRIO programs provide assistance with postsecondary course selection; academic tutoring; assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; financial literacy education; assistance with enrollment in graduate and professional programs; mentoring; and activities designed to acquaint participants with career options.