Paul L. and Donna M. Kyle
​Eco-Science ​Scholarship Fund

Elibigility

• Need and merit based for college qualified graduates of Liberty High School;
• Preference shall be given to students with a 3.0 GPA or greater on a scale of 4.0;
• Preference will be given to students pursuing studies in fields related to eco-sciences such as:  earth sciences, forestry, atmospheric sciences, or sustainable;
• Essay Required: Must submit a two page essay describing the field the student intends to study and how the student hopes to use his/her education in furthering a sustainable healthy planet and/or improving the lives of the physically or mentally disabled;
• Should there be no qualified applicants in the preferred fields of study, consideration will be given to those studying mining engineering, mine safety, including engineering and other sciences related to methods for cleaner fossil fuels and reduction of greenhouse gasses. Applicants pursuing a degree that would prepare them to work with disabled individuals shall be included in this tier.​

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The Rev. Dr. Gloria Jean Wright established this endowment as a tribute to her parents: her father’s love of mining, his concern for mine safety, his caring about miner’s quality of life and their families, and the love of nature and education opportunities which her parents shared. Paul and Donna were born in WV, and married while living in Edwight, WV. Paul worked in the coal mines becoming the youngest coal-mine foreman in WV. They had 3 children, Jean Kyle Wright, Paul E. “Bob” Kyle, and Donna Kyle-Delp, all graduates of Marsh Fork HS who continued their education pursuits and enjoyed successful careers. Determined to complete her HS education, Donna, already a wife and mother, enrolled as a 9th grader at Marsh Fork and graduated in 1957 as class co-valedictorian. In 1961 their lives changed when Paul was left a quadriplegic following a car accident.

​Determined to be useful and encouraged by his wife, Paul enrolled in George Washington University Hospital’s pilot program to train quadriplegic individuals in the relatively new field of computer programming. He then worked at the Census Bureau and later at the Department of the Interior/Bureau of Mines. Both Donna and Paul loved the mountains and streams of WV. This scholarship shall be awarded to a graduating Liberty HS senior who has been accepted to an accredited 4 year college and will pursue studies such as earth sciences, forestry, atmospheric sciences, sustainable energy, mining engineering, mine safety, engineering and other sciences related to methods for cleaner fossil fuels, or working with disabled persons. Paul and Donna’s story serves as an inspiring example of how to live life with grace while overcoming seemingly insurmountable limitations; through this scholarship, they will continue to make a difference.