For the Mayhan-Mahan Family Reunion
Helping to Prepare Our Youth for a Brighter Future
2026 enrollment has begun!
The Foundation
About the Foundation
The scholarship foundation is a nonprofit corporation formed to help support and inspire the young descendants of Armisted and Rachel Mahan to pursue a post-secondary education. It is our belief that this will help safeguard a successful livelihood for the grant recipients, inspire the participation of other family members and enrich the family as a whole. Effie M. Brown is a granddaughter of Gustine and his wife Elizabeth; Gustine is one of two known sons of Armisted and Rachel.
Key points about the Foundation
- It is chartered to provide college tuition grants exclusively to the descendants of Armisted and Rachel Mahan.
- It was incorporated as a non-profit corporation on July 7, 2007 in the state of Maryland.
- It is intended to ensure the Mayhan-Mahan Family continues to educationally enrich its young generations toward a prosperous future.
- Scholarships are awarded to the recipients by the Scholarship Committee at the biannual Mayhan-Mahan family reunion. (if you wish to join the committee contact the scholarship fund- all family members with a background in education are welcome to a limit of 5 members. Presently there are 5 members)
- During the years when there is not a reunion, the grant is forwarded to the recipient by mail.
- The initial fundraising cycle lasted for two years. Afterward, the fundraising is done between the beginning of February and the end of March every year.
About Effie M Brown
Mrs. Brown graduated with a BA in Education at Bluefield State College in Bluefield, West Virginia. Although she graduated in four years, she completed her course work in just two years and eight months. She went on to receive her Masters Degree at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. She continued as a teacher in the Bluefield, WV school system, achieving the degree of Master Teacher.
Among her achievements, Mrs. Brown is the Valedictorian of her High School class, graduated magna cum laude from Bluefield State College with BS degree in Elementary Education; graduated with a MA degree from Marshall University (Early Childhood Education); authored a pamphlet to help parents of pre-schoolers/ kindergartners - "This Twig We Bend," also a part of her thesis.
Effie also attended Georgetown University, earning additional hours for certification to teach Mentally Impaired & Developmentally Delayed Children. She was the first teacher in Mercer County WV certified to pilot the first kindergarten program when this became mandatory to enter 1st grade.
To this day, the "Effie M. Brown Award" is given annually to a minority teacher at the Minority Affairs Conference in Charleston, WV. In all, Mrs. Brown taught in Mercer County schools for over 30 years, Kindergarten through 12 grades. Even after retiring, she continued to serve as a substitute teacher in these grades and even tutored/taught courses for college students.
Mrs. Brown is also a member of:
- Mercer County Education Association
- WV Education Association
- National Education Association
- Lifetime member of the NAACP
- Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority
Mrs. Brown has dedicated her life to helping countless others develop tools for a better life. It is in this same spirit of nurturing that this fund was dedicated, and to help continue her great legacyre.
Eligibility
Candidate Eligibility
Grants will be awarded to candidates that meet the following criteria at the time of the grant award, the candidate must:
- Be a member of the published or private version of the record of the descendants of Armisted and Rachel Mahan, or provide proof of relation by marriage or adoption to a descendant of the same. If you are uncertain if you are a descendant of Armisted and Rachel Mahan, send an e-mail, along with the names of your parents and grandparents.
- Provide official transcripts demonstrating a graduating GPA of 3.0 or greater.
- Provide a copy of the letter of acceptance, or if enrolled, official transcripts demonstrating a current GPA of 3.0 or greater from an eligible institution.
- Be under 21 years of age.
- Not have received any prior grants from this foundation.
- Not be a member of the immediate family of any of the members of the scholarship committee or the foundation's officers.
Donors
Thank You!
Here are the most recent donations received.
Anonymous Donor
May 1, 2022: $1,200
Jada Grandy-Mock
July 9, 2021: $1,000
Trina Mayhan Webb
July 18, 2021: $150
Joshua Penn
July 18, 2021: $100
Grants
Grant Awards
Annually, a grant of $100 will be awarded to every applicant between June and July that meets the eligibility requirements and submits the Basic Application on the right. Recipients can increase the grant award by submitting a separate essay, detailing what plans he or she has post-graduation.
Upon review by the scholarship committee, the recipient's grant will be increased, up to a total grant of $750. Historically, grants with essays have ranged from $250 to $600. The check will be written to both the recipient and the educational institution included in the application. Funds can be used to pay for tuition, books and other educational expenses from the educational institution.
Basic Application
Just complete an easy online application during Open Enrollment.
- You will need a scan or a digital copy of your transcripts
- Be able to provide your field of study
- The degree or certification being pursued
- The name and acceptance date of the post-secondary institution you will be attending