2026-2027 Academic Legacy Scholarships
Open to Jump Start College Experience Graduating Seniors and Alum Scholars. The student must complete the application and essay. Applications Now Open
Our Legacy and the Meaning Behind Our Scholarships
Awards are available based on the availability of funds, with the next round of scholarships proposed for the 2026–2027 academic year. Each scholarship offered through the Willie & Vivian Gaddis Foundation carries deep meaning, rooted in the lived experiences, sacrifices, and resilience of the families represented here.
We honor our family and the connected branches who came before us—the seed of sharecroppers, enslaved people, and African‑descended families who built their lives through perseverance and faith. Our lineage includes domestic workers, cooks, railroad workers, and blue‑collar laborers across many trades. These were individuals who worked with their minds and hands, using their strength, skill, and determination to create opportunities for their families and the generations that followed.
Our family branches also include those with limited formal education who became entrepreneurs—people who successfully started and sustained businesses in construction, painting, plumbing, and other skilled trades. Their courage to build, provide, and maintain stability for their families is the foundation upon which our scholarships stand.
Our scholarships honor their yearning for better opportunities. Every student recipient represents the dreams they carried but could not fully realize. When a scholar earns a Gaddis Foundation award, they step into a legacy of hope, resilience, and possibility.
The Debra Ann Gaddis‑Sawyer Scholarship holds a special place in this legacy. It is awarded in loving memory of a Gaddis sibling gone too soon, ensuring her light continues to shine through the achievements of young people pursuing their futures.
Gaddis Foundation Legacy Scholarships
Open to Jump Start College Experience Graduating Seniors and Alum Scholars
We honor and remember those from the Gaddis Family trees who dreamed about what they could not see. Our Legacy Scholarships carry forward their hopes and aspirations by supporting scholars today. Open to Jump Start College Experience Graduating Seniors and Alum Scholars. The student must complete the application and essay.
Applicants will be eligible to receive consideration for one of the following scholarships, with priority given to the scholars who completed the 2026 Jump Start Capstone:
- The Gaddis NextGen Skilled Trades Scholarship
- The Willie Lee Gaddis Legacy Scholarship
- The Vivian Ann Thompson Gaddis Legacy Scholarship
- The Debra Ann Gaddis-Sawyer Legacy Scholarship
- The Jump Start Academic Scholarship
- The Marvin and Essie (Flemister) Thompson Legacy Scholarship
- The Willie and Eunice (McGee) Legacy Scholarship
- The Ruby (Moncrief) Gaddis Legacy Scholarship
- Jump Start Honors Scholarship
- Jump Start Alum Scholarship
Jump Start Capstone (Cohort 3)
A Guided Path Through the Scholarship Application Process
Jump Start Capstone is a structured, 4-session workshop designed to help high school juniors and seniors successfully navigate the scholarship application process. This program equips students with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to pursue funding opportunities with confidence and clarity.
Through guided instruction and hands-on learning, scholars will learn how to identify credible scholarship opportunities, write strong and authentic essays, and avoid common application mistakes that often lead to missed opportunities.
Capstone also provides practical guidance on college application fee waivers, including eligibility requirements and step-by-step instructions to help students reduce the financial barriers associated with applying to college.
The program concludes with personalized, one-on-one mentoring, where students receive direct support and feedback on their scholarship essays.
Jump Start Capstone is offered at no cost and serves as a required step for students who wish to apply for the Gaddis Legacy Scholarships.
Registration is Currently Closed
2025 Scholarship Recipients
presented by the Willie & Vivian Gaddis Foundation
