The S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation recently announced its 2018 scholarship awards.

Brandon Eley and Indya Gipson, both of Nansemond River High School, received the scholarships.

Eley, who received a $7,000 scholarship, will be attending the University of Virginia.

Gipson, who received a $2,000 scholarship, will be attending George Mason University.

The S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation was established in 2013 as a memorial to Shontoyia (“Toyia”) Delois Mayes, who lost her life in a car accident in 2002. Mayes moved to Virginia in 1997 from Los Angeles, Calif., to attend college at Old Dominion University. Despite numerous obstacles, Mayes graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 2000.

Education was extremely important to Mayes, and she pursued it vigorously in an effort to position herself to assist others. Her dream was to write a book as a platform to reach out to teenagers and young adults who may have faced obstacles similar to those she faced and to encourage them to persevere and pursue their education. These same ideals shape the mission of the S. Delois Mayes Scholarship Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to annually grant scholarship awards to Suffolk seniors.

More information can be found at www.sdmscholarshipfoundation.com.