More than 180 Magoffin County High School seniors have gone to college with help from permanently endowed scholarship funds created at Blue Grass Community Foundation more than two decades ago. Those scholarships are open for applications until the application deadline on March 6. If you are a graduating senior at Magoffin County High School, now is the time to apply.
The Buck and Lillie May Patrick Memorial Scholarship
In 2002, Magoffin County native Scotty B. Patrick established one such scholarship through Blue Grass Community Foundation’s affiliate fund, the Magoffin County Community Foundation. Patrick named the scholarship in honor of his late parents, Buck and Lillie May Patrick. His goal was straightforward: make sure local students had financial support to pursue college.
That vision has held. Since 2002, the fund has awarded $339,000 in scholarships to more than 160 Magoffin County students. This year, 10 graduating seniors will each receive a $2,000 award, renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study.
To be eligible, students must plan to attend an accredited two-year or four-year college, demonstrate financial need, and show active involvement in school and community.
The scholarship has changed lives. A 2025 recipient shared with Blue Grass Community Foundation: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for helping me achieve my lifelong dream of following my music passion. My love for music and teaching is something I long to bring back to my hometown to inspire others. I truly could never thank you enough for such a wonderful opportunity to help make my dream become a reality.”
That is exactly what Scotty had in mind when he set up the fund. He believed in students who would one day give back to the community that shaped them. By partnering with Blue Grass Community Foundation from the start, he ensured the fund would be professionally managed, permanently endowed, and available to Magoffin County students for generations.
The Edwin Paul Lyon III Memorial Scholarship
Also available to Magoffin County seniors is the Edwin Paul Lyon III Memorial Scholarship, held at Blue Grass Community Foundation. Paul and Joann Lyon established the fund in 2006 in memory of their son, Edwin Paul Lyon III, to benefit students from Magoffin County.
Paul was a Magoffin County High School graduate and, though he preferred working on cars to studying, he recognized the value of education and attended Lexington Community College. He lost his life at the hands of a drunk driver 15 days before his 21st birthday.
Paul and Joann Lyon channeled their loss into something lasting. Their hope was simple: that Paul would be pleased to know he was helping another student pursue an education. Two graduating seniors from Magoffin County High School will each receive a one-time award of $1,750. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and demonstrate financial need.
How to Apply
One man’s love for his hometown and its residents. One family’s way of keeping their son’s memory alive. Both live on in every student who applies. Don’t miss your opportunity to be one of those students. Visit bgcf.org/scholarships and apply before March 6.
About Magoffin County Community Foundation
Scotty B. Patrick was instrumental in establishing the Magoffin County Community Foundation as a geographic component fund of Blue Grass Community Foundation. Since its founding in 2002, Magoffin County Community Foundation, with oversight from a local board of advisors and Blue Grass Community Foundation, has awarded scholarships to more than 180 Magoffin County High School seniors, raised $1.5 million for local nonprofits, and distributed grants to support community projects and organizations in Magoffin County. To learn more or to support the foundation, visit bgcf.org/magoffin-county.
