Each year, Prince William Soccer awards up to four scholarships in the amount of $500 to graduating seniors who have made a difference within the club. 

The Jim Claffey Scholarship was established and funded  by Jim Claffey, about 20 years, with the purpose of recognizing graduating seniors from Prince William Soccer who have made a difference within the club and community.  Upon his passing, Prince William Soccer made a commitment to keep the scholarship going memorializing the man who made a difference in hundreds of thousands of children in Prince William County. 

Prince William Soccer is proud to announce the 2009 Jim Claffey Memorial Scholarship Winners, Megan Gilchrest, Abigail Howarth, and Kennie Lovato.  Each of these three recipients exhibit the qualities and characteristics that Jim had in mind when he established the scholarship those many years ago. 

Megan Gilchrest is a senior at Osbourn High School in Manassas and was a member of the Courage 89 Select team.   Megan is a leader both on and off the field.  Besides being the captain of her high school team, Megan was nominated to participate in the National Leadership Summit through her church.  When not playing soccer, she volunteers with Serve, the Boys and Girls Clubs as a peer mentor, and has also helped run soccer clinics.    Megan also maintains a 3.5 GPA and plans to attend Colorado Christian University in the fall. 

Abigail Howarth is a senior at Forest Park High School and was a member of the Courage 89 Select team.  Abbey has been involved in numerous activities with Prince William Soccer.  Besides playing, she has volunteered to coach an U7 recreational team, U8 recreational team, and is a buddy within the TOPSoccer program.  At school she is involved in many other activities such as Yearbook Editor, SCA President, Dance team, and others too numerous to mention.  Abbey is also a top student serving in the National Honor Society and participant in the Governor’s School to name a few. 

Kennie Lovato is a senior at Potomac High School and is a member of Coach Buhler’s Freedom Suburban Friendship team.  She arrived as a small child from El Salvador and had to overcome a tremendous amount of obstacles including leaving her family behind when she left.  Since that time, she has worked tirelessly to rise to the top earning both academic and athletic honors.  She has a 3.9 grade point average and will be attending the University of Virginia to study Computer Science.  Her ultimate goal is to build a school in the town where she was born in El Salvador.