Many of the Mount Vernon High School 2026 graduates, like others across the United States, plan to attend college as their next step in life. Numbers show that about 32 percent of the 116 prospective graduates of Mount Vernon High School for 2026 received $140,850 in local-area scholarships to help them on their journey to the next chapter of their lives. These scholarships can be used at four-year universities, community colleges, technical schools, or even state schools for specialized certifications.
Mount Vernon and Franklin County's “philanthropic network” of civic groups, memorial funds, family foundations, and donor-supported funds collectively support local graduates. The number of scholarships awarded is high, even if the amounts are sometimes modest. Students will continue to look to those around them for support and encouragement. The time to start for next year’s graduates’ scholarships is now, say administrators and civic leaders.
In the meantime, here is the list of scholarship honorees available for publication on the 2026 MVHS graduates. Students’ names appear in alphabetical order by last name, with scholarship amounts and their sources listed in the same paragraph.
Jaedyn Blalock received $5,000 in scholarships, as follows: the Jack Perrin Memorial Scholarship from Sanitation Solutions, $1,000; and a Catfish-Smith Scholarship, $4,000.
Chandler Bogue received the C. T. Penny Memorial Scholarship for $500.
Ryder Bowers received $1,000 in scholarships, including the Franklin County Youth Basketball Association Scholarship of $750 and a Franklin County Youth Football Association Scholarship of $250.
Mariana Cardenas received $4,500 in local scholarships, including the Tom Ramsay Memorial Scholarship, $3,000, and a scholarship honoring former softball coach Donnie Surratt, $1,500.
Dayne Carr was selected to receive $3,500 in local scholarships, as follows: Order of the Eastern Star, $1,000; Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge, $1,000; The East Texas Justice of the Peace and Constable’s Association, $750; Minnie Laughton Birdsong Scholarship, $500; and a Franklin County Youth Football Association, $250.
Lorena Castillo was selected to receive scholarships totaling $13,500, as follows: Key Club Scholarship, $1,000; Connor X Memorial Scholarship, $5,000; The Boar Named Bob/Cole Barker Memorial Scholarship, $1,500; Don Meredith Humanitarian Scholarship, $4,000; Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Community Service Scholarship, $500; and the Bruce Hunnicutt Scholarship, $1,500.
Callie Clark received local scholarships totaling $13,900, as follows: Key Club Scholarship, $500; Eula and Graham Carter Smith Scholarship, $2,000; Leaders of Tomorrow, $1,000; Fern and Buck Irby Scholarship, $400; Mount Vernon Band Boosters, $2,000; and Alliance Bank, $8,000.
C.J. Clayton received a scholarship from the Franklin County Youth Football Association for $250.
Pierson Clayton receives scholarships valued at $5,250, as follows: Franklin County Youth Basketball Association, $750; Danny Chitsey Scholarship, $500; and Catfish-Smith Scholarship, $4,000.
Cody Clinton received scholarships from the Mount Vernon Order of the Eastern Star for $1,000 and the Mount Vernon Economic Development Corporation for $1,000.
Alexa Copeland received a $1,000 Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge Scholarship.
Caden Decker was awarded $11,000 in local scholarships, as follows: American Legion Scholarship, $1,500; American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship $500; Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge, $1,000; Hattie Lasater Scholarship, $2,500; Terry Rule Scholarship, $1,000; Paul and Jean Piefer Foundation Trust Scholarship, $1,500; Peoples Telephone Cooperative Scholarship, $2,000; and The Wood County Electric Co-Op Scholarship, $1,000.
Andres Diaz was awarded $1,250 in local scholarships, as follows: the Key Club Scholarship, $500; the Minnie Laughton Birdsong Scholarship from the Mount Vernon Retired School Employees Association, $500; and the Franklin County Youth Football Association, $250.
Aulani Diaz received the Mount Vernon Rotary Motivational Scholarship, which covers two semesters at Northeast Texas Community College and is valued at just under $7,000.
Wyatt Folk received the $500 Irene Binnion Scholarship.
Titus Gable was awarded a Catfish-Smith Scholarship of $4,000, which honors the 1950s coach.
Cade George received scholarships totaling $3,500, as follows: the Key Club Scholarship, $500; the Eula and Graham Carter Smith Scholarship, $2,000; and the Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship, $1,000.
Madasyn Gutierrez, Northeast Texas Community College’s Counselor/Principal Scholarship in the amount of $200.
Grayson Hammonds was selected to receive scholarships totaling $11,750, as follows: Key Club Scholarship, $1,000; North Texas Officials Softball Scholarship, $250; Leaders of Tomorrow in Honor pf Jason Mccullough, $1,000; Latortue Legacy Fund Scholarship, $2,500; Paul and Jean Piefer Foundation Trust Scholarship, $1,500; Deana Jaggers Entrepreneurship Business Scholarship, $1,000; Catfish-Smith Scholarship, $4,000; and the Donnie Surrat Scholarship, $500.
Jax Henry received a Franklin County Youth Basketball Association Scholarship of $250.
Jaycee Hughes received a Franklin County Youth Basketball Association Scholarship of $1,000.
Caden Johnson received scholarships totaling $4,250, as follows: the Tom Ramsay Memorial Scholarship, $3,000; a Minnie Laughton Birdsong Scholarship from the Mount Vernon Retired School Employees Association, $500; the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Community Service Scholarship, $500; and a Franklin County Youth Basketball Association scholarship of $250.
Meredith Mears was selected to receive scholarships totaling $8,500, as follows: American Legion Post 243 Scholarship $1,500; American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship $500; Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge, $1,000; Wood County Electric Co-Op ,$1,000; Peoples Telephone Cooperative Scholarship, $2,000; and Latortue Legacy Fund Scholarship, $2,500.
Landry Moss was the recipient of the McGill Media Scholarship, valued at $1,000.
Addison Norwood received scholarships totaling $5,500, as follows: Catfish-Smith Scholarship, $4,000; Donnie Surrat Scholarship, honoring the long-time softball coach, $500; and a Franklin County Youth Basketball Association Scholarship, $1,000.
Vernon Pennington received scholarships valued at $6,000, as follows: the Don Meredith Humanitarian Scholarship, $4,000; and the Mount Vernon Fire Department Scholarship for attending the state fire school, $1,500-$2000.
Emmersyn Reed received $3,500 in local scholarships, as follows: American Legion Riders Post 243’s Waymon Newsome, Jr. Scholarship, $1,000; and the Young Farmers’ David Maxton Scholarship, $2,500.
Ashlyn Readar received the North Texas Officials Softball Scholarship for $250.
Craig Ross received a Franklin County Youth Basketball Association Scholarship for $750.
Wesley Salinas received two scholarships totaling $850, as follows: Franklin County Youth Football Association Scholarship, $250; and a Glen Emerson Scholarship, $600.
Liv Scott was selected to receive scholarships totaling $5,500, as follows: Key Club Scholarship $500; Minnie Laughton Birdsong Scholarship, $500; The Boar Named Bob/Cole Barker Memorial Scholarship ,$1,500; Deana Jaggers Entrepreneurship Business Scholarship, $1,000; Franklin County Youth Basketball Association Scholarship, $1,000; and the R. Q Tower Scholarship, $1,000.
Monika Self received scholarships totaling $6,000, as follows: Key Club Scholarship $1,000; Eula and Graham Carter Smith Scholarship, $2,000; Mount Vernon Shakespeare Club, $1,000; and a Mount Vernon Band Booster Scholarship, $2,000.
Calaway Sinclair received one of the Catfish-Smith Scholarships from the Catfish Winners group for $4,000.
Katelynn Sitzes received $2,000 in scholarships, including an American Legion Riders Post 243 Waymon Newsome, Jr. Scholarship, $1,000, and a Mount Vernon Band Booster Scholarship, $1,000.
Rachel Stephens was selected to receive the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Community Service Scholarship, to be claimed in 2027, valued at $500.
Dawson Witherspoon was selected to receive $3,500 in scholarships, as follows: Mount Vernon Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, $1,000; The Boar Named Bob/Cole Barker Memorial Scholarship/Tennessee Duck Hunters, $1,500; a Franklin County Youth Basketball Association Scholarship, $750; and the Franklin County Youth Football Association, $250.
Nathan Worthen received the Fern and Buck Irby Scholarship, valued at $400.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This list is not exhaustive of the scholarships received by the 116 candidates for graduation from MVHS this year. It is a listing of those shared with counselors at school and with this journalist. We encourage any organization awarding scholarships to next year’s graduates to share that information with the high school counselor on staff at MVHS and/or with the staff of MVNow.org prior to the week of graduation so that a more comprehensive listing can be published.
