The Irene Nolan Memorial Scholarship Fund has had waves of community support since it was established in December 2021 with the help of the Outer Banks Community Foundation, thanks to its namesake honoree, our Island Free Press (IFP) co-founder and original editor, Irene.
The Irene Nolan Memorial Scholarship Fund has been a dream for everyone at the IFP since Irene passed away in 2017, 10 years after she established Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands’ first online newspaper.
Irene was many things to her Hatteras Island community. She was a mentor, a friend, and an icon, and she was considered the voice of the islands during her decades of work as a local journalist and editor. As such, it was only fitting for the IFP team to start a scholarship in her name for Hatteras and Ocracoke Island students pursuing English-related degrees.
In May 2023, the IFP awarded the first-ever Irene Nolan Memorial Scholarship to Grace Shoemaker of Buxton, who is in expected to graduate in 2025.
The fund, like most other Community Foundation scholarship funds, offers up to four years of scholarship funding to each student recipient. In addition, the fund is endowed, meaning that the bulk of its assets will remain invested and only 5% of its earnings will be spent each year. In this way, the fund will be a perpetual source of scholarships for Hatteras and Ocracoke Island students for years to come.
“It is our hope that, with the support of future donors, we will be able to continue to grow the fund so we can help many more students in the years to come,” said IFP co-founder and publisher Donna Barnett. “Irene was steadfast in her tireless work to keep our readers informed of the news for Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. In her honor, we share that same work ethic, and continue our efforts to secure this scholarship, so it can help our local students indefinitely.”
Anyone may contribute to the Irene Nolan Memorial Scholarship Fund by sending a check to the Outer Banks Community Foundation, 13 Skyline Road, Southern Shores, NC 27949 with the fund name in the memo line, or by making a contribution online at obcf.org/donate-now, and selecting the fund from the searchable funds list.
“I can’t think of a better tribute to Irene’s legacy than to help the next generation of Outer Banks writers pursue a love of journalism,” said Joy Crist, current editor of the IFP. “Thanks to Donna, the Outer Banks Community Foundation, and our wonderfully generous donors, we can continue to honor an incredible journalist, editor, and friend for many years to come.”
The Outer Banks Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization that connects people who care with causes that matter. Based in a historic flat top cottage in Southern Shores, the Community Foundation manages more than $25 million across more than 200 charitable funds for individuals and agencies, awards grants to local nonprofits, administers 60 scholarship programs, and provides tailored services to help donors pursue their charitable interests. Since its inception in 1982, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $12 million in grants and scholarships to local nonprofits and students.
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