VCOM View Vol 9-1

The Merryman Family Scholarship Provides Inspiration

BY THIM CORVIN

T he late Floyd W. “Sonny” Merryman Jr., and his wife Lou have had a profound impact on elementary, high school and college students all across Virginia. Lifelong residents of Rustburg, Virginia, they founded a trailer equipment and bus dealership in 1967 that has grown to become one of the nation’s most prominent and distinguished bus dealers. Staunch champions of the virtues and rewards of education, Sonny and Lou have provided hundreds of young Virginians with scholarship assistance over the years.

Sadly, Sonny passed away in 2013 after a battle with cancer, but Lou and her children continue the legacy the couple began years ago. “The Merrymans’ attitude toward helping others is inspirational,” said Thim Corvin, Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations at VCOM. “Giving back is just something the Merryman family does automatically and instinctively. It is a deeply ingrained part of who they are.” Having grown up in rural Virginia, Lou understands the importance of educating and returning doctors to practice in rural and

medically underserved areas. After touring the campus and meeting with students, faculty and administration, she agreed a wonderful way to assist VCOM in its mission and also encourage students to become physicians and return to practice in rural areas was to create a scholarship in her husband’s name. The F. W. “Sonny” Merryman Jr. Family Endowed Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance for a student whose values align with the College. Those values include: duty, integrity, professionalism, altruism, and compassion. “Scholarships, like the Merryman Scholarship, are so much more than just putting a dent in the debt you will owe at the end of medical school. It is also motivation, support and inspiration from people who believe enough in you to provide such a gift,” said Madison Compton, VCOM-Virginia Class of 2020, the most recent recipient of the F.W. “Sonny” Merryman Jr. Family Endowed Scholarship Fund. ■

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