LEWISBURG W.Va. (WVDN) – Medical school can be an expensive undertaking, but 12 aspiring physicians at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) decreased their financial burden following an Aug. 23 luncheon celebrating their selection as recipients of Encova Foundation scholarships.
A total of $38,000 was awarded for the 2024-25 academic year, with scholarships ranging in value from $2,000 to $8,000. To date, the organization has provided scholarships worth $1,069,000 to 96 students at WVSOM. In total, Encova has contributed $1,540,000 to the school, making it the WVSOM Foundation’s largest scholarship donor and largest private corporate donor.
The scholarships are funded by an endowment the Encova Foundation created at the school in 2016 when the organization was known as the BrickStreet Foundation. The Encova Foundation of West Virginia is a charitable arm of the Columbus-based Encova Insurance, which also funds the Encova Foundation of Ohio.
WVSOM Class of 2027 student Leya Givvines said the scholarship will help her focus more on becoming a physician and less on figuring out how to pay for her education.
“These funds couldn’t have come at a better time,” Givvines said. “I’m paying my own way through medical school while being a work-study student in one of WVSOM’s research labs and babysitting on the side, so having some of the financial burden taken off me allows me to focus more on my studies.”
Morgan Christian, a WVSOM Class of 2028 student who received one of the scholarships, said she appreciates the assistance offered by organizations that contribute to the WVSOM Foundation.
“I’m thankful to donors like Encova who believe in me and the next generation of physicians from West Virginia. Becoming a physician has always been my dream, and now I’m one step closer with this scholarship,” Christian said.
Other recipients for the current academic year were Class of 2025 student Abigail Effingham; Class of 2026 students Patrick Farry and Guinevere Johnson; Class of 2027 students Jacqueline Cole, Autumn Horner, Barbara Pridemore and Nivetha Pushpanathan; and Class of 2028 students Evan Ballard, Emma Beatty and Vyshnavi Pendala.
Shelby Paxton, a senior human resources business partner with Encova who attended the luncheon, said it’s important for the company to help physicians-in-training achieve their educational goals.
“Encova has always valued giving back to our community and supporting WVSOM’s mission of preparing students to serve rural areas in West Virginia and surrounding states,” Paxton said. “Year after year, I’ve been proud to visit the school to present students their awards. We know that educating young physicians is essential to the future of our region.”
