Wakefield High School senior Aidan Unudelger has won the prestigious 2018 Horatio Alger National Scholarship and will be awarded $25,000. Unudelger is one of 106 students were chosen out of over 45,000 applicants nationally and one of only two students from the Commonwealth of Virginia to win the scholarship.

The 2018 Horatio Alger Association National Scholars are students who come from households with an average income of $12,996 per year but maintain an average GPA of 3.8. Each National Scholarship recipient is awarded $55,000 to apply toward the educational costs of the college or university of their choice and will have access to a variety of Association-provided resources including counseling and referral services, internship opportunities and Alumni connections.

In addition to the scholarship, each National Scholar will attend the Horatio Alger National Scholars Conference (NSC) April 5-7 and participate in college-preparedness and other educational sessions. There, Horatio Alger Scholars will have an opportunity to learn about the Association, its esteemed Members and the various support programs in which they can partake during their collegiate careers.

In conjunction with the NSC, National Scholars will also be recognized at the Association’s 71st Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies. The Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program and National Scholars Conference are wholly funded through private donations from Association Members and friends.

Since the establishment of its scholarship programs in 1984, more than 25,000 students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada have received more than $125 million in scholarships for undergraduate and graduate studies.