The Rotary Club of Marion recently presented scholarships to deserving students in McDowell County. The first scholarship to be presented was the one created by the Rotary Club in cooperation with McDowell Technical Community College. In this photo, Rotary President Steve Bush (left) and J.W. Kelley, who is president of McDowell Tech and a Rotarian, present the scholarship to student Christopher Burleson. Fellow students Ann Marie Hall and Chasity Bright also received this scholarship but were not available for photo.
The 2025 Marshall Dark Scholarship of $8,000 was awarded to Keylee Jewlyonna Hensley. She is a graduating senior at McDowell Early College, where she has a 4.0 GPA and a 4.68 weighted GPA and ranks fourth in her graduating class. At the presentation were (from left to right) Rotary President Steve Bush, Hensley and Rotarian Marshall “Marsh” Dark III, representing the Dark family.
The Rotary Club of Marion recently awarded scholarships to several deserving students in McDowell County.
The first scholarship to be awarded was the one created by the Rotary Club in cooperation with McDowell Technical Community College.
Last year, officials with the McDowell Technical Community College Foundation Board received a donation in the amount of $20,000 from the Rotary Club of Marion to create a permanent endowed scholarship fund at McDowell Tech to benefit students at the college in perpetuity. Thanks to a Title III Matching Grant received by the college from the U.S. Department of Education, the club’s donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar in the new fund.
In addition, Snyder Paper Corporation of Hickory requested last year that their recent gift of $15,000 to the MTCC Foundation be earmarked for inclusion in the newly named Rotary Club of Marion Foundation Scholarship. Both gifts to the Foundation will be matched by the Title III grant. Additional funds can be added to the new scholarship by either the Marion Rotary Club or any other donor who wants to contribute qualifying funds to this particular scholarship program.
A scholarship selection committee reviewed applications and made recommendations regarding selection of recipients to the college’s financial aid director. Applicants must have a 3.0 grade-point average, be a resident of McDowell County and have demonstrated financial need, according to a previous story by The McDowell News.
J.W. Kelley, who is president of McDowell Tech and a Rotarian, made the presentation. The 2024–2025 McDowell Tech Community College Endowed Rotary Scholarship recipients are:
Ann Marie Hall, who is pursuing an Associate in Arts degree and is on track to graduate in December 2026. She is currently on the Honors List for academic achievement and previously earned a degree in emergency management technology.
Chasity Bright, who will graduate this May with a degree in cyber crime technology and has earned distinction on the President’s List. She also holds degrees and credentials in health information technology and cyber crime.
Christopher Burleson, who is set to complete his cyber crime technology degree this summer and will graduate with a degree in information systems: web administration and design in December 2026. A President’s List honoree, he also previously earned a degree in electrical systems technology.
They did not all receive the same amount. The scholarship covered each student’s tuition and fees, which is different because of class schedule and program costs.
“We are grateful to the Rotary Club of Marion for their continued investment in our students through their endowed scholarship,” said Kelley. “Their generosity reflects our shared commitment to education, service and community — a legacy that lives on in the lives of the students we mutually support. Because of this great partnership, these scholars can learn, grow and dream as they fulfill their academic goals.”
Hall and Bright were unable to attend the meeting. But Burleson shared his inspiring journey of overcoming health challenges and expressed gratitude for the Rotary Scholarship’s role in supporting his educational and career goals.
Marshall Dark Scholarship
Then, the club awarded the prestigious Marshall Dark Scholarship.
It is presented each year to one or more deserving young scholars from McDowell County, who are not a child or grandchild of a Rotarian. The original program was started in the 1940s, making it one of the oldest local scholarships still being funded in the county. It is based on financial need, community service and academic excellence. This started as a college loan program and is sponsored by the generosity of the Dark family.
Marshall Dark Sr. made the time to serve his community through Rotary Club of Marion and his business industry both locally and on the North Carolina State Board of Independent Agents. His son Marshall Dark Jr. is thought to be the youngest person to serve as president of the Rotary Club of Marion. The Rotary Club of Marion has a third-generation member today with Marshall “Marsh” Dark III, according to previous stories by The McDowell News.
At the meeting, Marsh Dark introduced the 2025 recipient.
This year’s scholarship process began in October, when the club opened applications to all McDowell high school seniors — including students from public, private and homeschool settings.
“The committee began reviewing applications immediately and was deeply impressed by the caliber of young people in our county,” said Dark. “Each one of them was remarkable in their own right and choosing a single recipient was no easy task. But after much discussion and careful deliberation, one student stood out — not only for her academic achievements for the strength of character she demonstrates every single day.”
The 2025 Marshall Dark Scholarship of $8,000 is awarded to Keylee Jewlyonna Hensley.
She is a graduating senior at McDowell Early College, where she has a 4.0 GPA and a 4.68 weighted GPA and ranks fourth in her graduating class. She is the oldest of five children in a single-father household. She has consistently stepped up to help care for her siblings and support her dad, said Dark.
While attending high school and simultaneously completing her associate degree from McDowell Tech, she has held two jobs working more than 40 hours a week. One of her jobs was at Love’s Travel Stop and the other at the McDowell Tech Café.
This fall, she will attend the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in business management with a concentration in human resources. Her dream is to become an HR manager for a government agency or nonprofit organization, said Dark.
“Keylee represents the very best of McDowell County: strong, humble, determined and driven by purpose,” said Dark. “We are so proud of her and thrilled to support her future through this scholarship.”
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The Rotary Club of Marion recently presented scholarships to deserving students in McDowell County. The first scholarship to be presented was the one created by the Rotary Club in cooperation with McDowell Technical Community College. In this photo, Rotary President Steve Bush (left) and J.W. Kelley, who is president of McDowell Tech and a Rotarian, present the scholarship to student Christopher Burleson. Fellow students Ann Marie Hall and Chasity Bright also received this scholarship but were not available for photo.
The 2025 Marshall Dark Scholarship of $8,000 was awarded to Keylee Jewlyonna Hensley. She is a graduating senior at McDowell Early College, where she has a 4.0 GPA and a 4.68 weighted GPA and ranks fourth in her graduating class. At the presentation were (from left to right) Rotary President Steve Bush, Hensley and Rotarian Marshall “Marsh” Dark III, representing the Dark family.
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