MECC Foundation Announces Scholarship Honoring Roger Daugherty

thumbnail_Roger Daugherty photoBig Stone Gap — Roger Daugherty, a longtime MECC Foundation Board member and the originator of the Buccaneer Scholarship Fund, has been named the MECC 2021 Hall of Honor Recipient.

For the second year, MECC’s Annual Hall of Honor Gala was cancelled due to concerns of COVID-19 spread in the region. However, Daugherty is being honored with the establishment of a scholarship in his name, celebrating all that Roger has done to further education for students in southwestern Virginia through Buccaneer Scholarships.

The Roger Daugherty Hall of Honor Buccaneer Scholarship will benefit Union, and former Powell Valley, Appalachia, or East Stone Gap High School graduates that attend MECC. Roger’s portrait will hang in the Hall of Honor located in the Slemp Commons of Phillips-Taylor Hall on MECC’s campus. 

“Roger Daugherty is to be commended for his tireless work to promote scholarships for MECC students,” said MECC Foundation Executive Director Amy Greear “Although he no longer resides in Big Stone Gap, Roger has never forgotten his roots. He is dedicated to creating educational opportunities for students in our region and has created a legacy that will remove barriers to obtaining a college degree for MECC students for years to come.”

 Roger graduated in 1956 from Big Stone Gap High School, where the mascot was a Buccaneer. He helped create and fund Buccaneer Scholarships through the multi-class reunion held each June. Roger spearheaded the effort and assembled a Scholarship Committee, which has administered the program since 2003. Due to the generosity of Buccaneers, enough funds were raised to award three scholarships the first year.

From those humble beginnings, the Buccaneer Scholarship endowment at MECC has grown to more than $800,000 and more than $600,000 in additional estate pledges. With the new scholarship in Roger’s honor, the total number of Buccaneer Scholarships will be sixteen. Approximately 120 students have been awarded a Buccaneer Scholarship since it inception.

The Foundation deeply appreciates Roger’s vision and passion for the Buccaneer Scholarship program, his heart for students and providing for their education, his exemplary work ethic, and his ability to arouse enthusiasm among his peers. Roger is as passionate about the Buccaneer Scholarship program today as he was in 2003.

To donate to the Roger Daugherty Hall of Honor Buccaneer Scholarship, please visit www.meccfoundation.org/give or send a check to MECC Foundation, 3441 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, Virginia 24219. For information on making an electronic bank debit, please contact the Foundation office at 276-523-7466.