Watauga Senior Wins $32K Scholarship to Davidson College

A Watauga High School senior who helped lead her team to a state championship is heading to Davidson College with one of North Carolina's most generous local scholarships in hand.

Jane Elizabeth Beach-Verhey has been named the 25th recipient of the John and Ruth Blue Scholarship. The award provides $8,000 per year, renewable for up to four years of college.

Beach-Verhey stands out among her classmates not just for top grades, but for leadership across multiple areas. She serves as president of the National Honor Society while juggling roles in Student Council, HOSA, and as a Pioneer Ambassador and LINK Leader.

On the cross-country course, she captained her team to the 2025 6A Women's Cross-Country State Championship. Off the track, she's dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours at Watauga Medical Center and traveled to the Dominican Republic to serve at a rural medical clinic.

The scholarship selection committee looks for three qualities in Blue Scholars: academic excellence, physical vigor, and leadership in school, church, and community. Beach-Verhey checked every box.

The Ripple Effect

The Blue Scholarship represents more than financial support. Since 2001, it has awarded over $570,000 to Watauga County students, making it one of the largest local scholarships available in the region.

John and Ruth Blue established the scholarship after retiring to Watauga County in the mid-1990s. They wanted to give back to a community that had given them so much in their later years.

John Blue's family had organized the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad in the early 1900s, one of the country's most successful short line railroads. During World War II alone, it carried more than one million troops through Fort Bragg.

After both John and Ruth passed away in the mid-2000s, a significant estate gift ensured the scholarship would continue supporting students for generations. Each year, another talented student gets the chance to pursue their dreams without the crushing weight of college debt.

Beach-Verhey will join 24 other Blue Scholars who have gone before her, carrying forward a legacy of service, excellence, and community leadership that started with a couple who simply wanted to make their adopted home a better place.