May 22, 2026 - Tug Valley Mine Institute (TVMI) has announced the six 2026 scholarship recipients.

The $8,000 David B. Akers Memorial Scholarship was awarded to David Hagy, Belfry; the $8,000 Raymond J. Scites Honorary Scholarship Award was awarded to Abbigail Vipperman, Belfry. Four $1,000 scholarships were awarded to Kelsey Cisco, Mingo Central; Bailee Hall, Tug Valley; Aidan Rimmer, Logan; and Isaac Walters, Chapmanville. Guest speaker was Evan Jenkins, Ramaco Vice Chairman.

Over the last thirty-one years, TVMI has awarded 178 (one hundred seventyeight) students $473,250 in scholarship monies.

Beginning 2027, TVMI has partnered with WVU to establish a foundation scholarship that will be awarded each year in the name of TVMI. A $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to a junior and senior engineering student each year from one of the following counties: Boone, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, Wayne, Wyoming Counties, West Virginia or Pike County, Kentucky.

L-R Evan Jenkins, Aidan Rimmer, Kelsey Cisco, David Hagy, Abbigail Vipperman, Isaac Walters, Bailee Hall, Bud Baldwin, and Ray Scites