Botetourt Democratic Committee awards scholarships

The Botetourt County Democratic Committee has awarded two $750 scholarships, one to a James River High School senior and one to a Lord Botetourt High School senior.

Daniel Sane, a 2022 graduate of James River High School, and Sarah Hamblin, a 2022 graduate of Lord Botetourt High School, were selected from a group of 12 students who entered the annual scholarship competition. Sane and Hamblin were chosen based on the essay portion of their application, in which they were asked to describe “How the Balance of Power in Our Three Branches of Government Preserves Democracy in Our Republic.”

The scholarship is non-partisan and independently judged, and applicants may have any political affiliation, GPA or financial status.

This fall, Sane will be a freshman at Virginia Tech, where he will study biochemistry. After earning an undergraduate degree, he hopes to attend medical school. Outside school, he enjoys making jewelry, being featured in art shows, helping out at his church and teaching Sunday School. While working on his essay, he said, “I learned that many other countries have similarly constructed government systems, broken down into multiple branches, but no other governments have a system of checks and balances like ours, which is very important to the retention of our democracy.”

Hamblin also plans to attend Virginia Tech this fall. She will study business and marketing with a minor in music and/or linguistics. She has enjoyed being in the marching and concert bands and is a member of the National Honor Society. While working on her essay, she wrote: “Without the division of power among the three branches, it would be easy for the United States to fall into a dictatorship or legislative tyranny, but the system of checks and balances upholds democracy for the nation.”