Five Roanoke students have been selected for this year’s Virginia's Future Leaders scholarships, which have been designed to award outstanding Virginia students attending Virginia colleges and universities across the Commonwealth. The scholarship program is managed through a partnership between Cox (News - Alert) Communications and the Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association.

Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association (VCTA) was born with the mission of promoting the cable television and telecommunications services of member companies in the Commonwealth of Virginia to the public, the business community and state officials. The VCTA offers helpful information on the cable industry's positive impact on Virginia's economy and its citizens.

“We congratulate these Roanoke students who are beneficiaries of the Virginia's Future Leaders Scholarships. Cox is very proud to be a part of this relationship with the VCTA, and helping young people pursue their educational goals,” VCTA vice president Kim Stanley noted in a statement.

Cox Communications has taken a number of education initiatives in the past. The company has long been a supporter of the development of youth through these initiatives. In Virginia, this support includes a long-standing partnership with area Boys & Girls Clubs, along with Cox-supported scholarships for students through ACCESS College and the Jim Kennedy (News - Alert) Scholarship program. Cox Communications also runs its own Cox Charities, a philanthropic initiative that provides grants to non-profit organizations throughout the community who support the academic achievement and development of young people.   

In a press release, the sponsoring companies announced that the winners will all be attending Virginia colleges or universities in the fall of 2011.

The names of this year's scholars are Madhura Chitnavis, Rachel Davis, Jacob Equi, Gabriela Titilola Peregrino and Kelsey Rae Tripp. The respective schools they will be attending are Roanoke College, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, College of William & Mary, Old Dominion University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

It will be worthwhile to mention here that the Virginia's Future Leaders Scholarship Program, now in its 10th year, is an education initiative of the Virginia cable industry and is made possible through the generous funding of the Donald A. Perry Foundation.

Recently Cox Communications announced its plan about entering the Roanoke market by launching cellphone service in the Roanoke Valley by year's end. The company has not yet disclosed the launch date, prices and mobile phones that will become available to Roanokers.