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The Judith Randolph-Longwood Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), is honored to announce the 2023 recipient of the Grace L. Jones Memorial Nursing Scholarship. Chastity Robertson, a senior from Nottoway County High School, has been chosen to receive the $1,000 award.

The scholarship was established to honor the memory of Grace L. Jones. Jones was the mother of Judith Randolph-Longwood Chapter members, Genevieve Bobko and Nancy Pempel. She had only an eighth grade education but had a vast knowledge of world experiences during her active 97 years of life. Raising her daughters as a single mother only strengthened her. Jones’ life was hard and her family had very little money. Her dream was for her daughters to have more opportunities at education than she had.

Each daughter followed their own path and one daughter became a nurse. That daughter, Bobko, left home at the age of 15 to be a nanny so that she could earn $275 to pay for nursing school. At such a young age Bobko was homesick, but her determination to be a nurse and to care for others kept her going strong. 

That day came when Bobko wrote her big check and entered nursing school. A lifelong career in nursing was started through humble beginnings. Bobko has a respect and love for the nursing profession and she wanted to honor her mother by starting a scholarship in her memory. Bobko, family members and many other DAR members donated funds to start this scholarship in honor of Jones.

Chastity is the daughter of Gus and LaShawn Blackwell.