Last Updated on June 11, 2025 11:50 am
June 11, 2025 –Watauga High School student Mia Grace Llibre, daughter of Yanni Llibre and Giovanni Llibre, was named the 2025 recipient of the Don and Audrey Bentley Scholarship. Llibre will attend University of Michigan this fall and plans to study global health.
This year’s award is $22,000 and is renewable for up to four years. This is the sixth year for the Bentley Scholarship, and with this year’s award plus renewals of prior years, this fund will have awarded $352,000 in its first six years.
In addition to her academic achievements, Llibre served as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. She was also the University of North Carolina Scholastic Media Association Student Officer and won the 2024 Best News Article award. Llibre served as the Student Representative of the Watauga County Board of Education, the liaison between the student body and the Board of Education for all county schools.
An accomplished musician, Llibre was first chair saxophonist in both the Watauga High School Jazz Ensemble and Honors Ensemble and was a member of the Performing Arts Honor Society. She also captained the Watauga High School Women’s Cross Country Team of over 50 members. Following Hurricane Helene, Llibre served as a critical relief volunteer at the Community Care Clininc where she helped low-income members of the Lantine community financial assistance and provided Spanish interpretation serves
This endowed scholarship is a component of the Watauga County Community Foundation and is one of the largest awards available to Watauga High School and Watauga Innovation Academy students. The Watauga County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation.
Ms. Bentley established the scholarship in 2013 to honor her late husband, Dr. Donald W. Bentley, and his lifelong profession in the field of education. The fund was activated in 2020 following Ms. Bentley’s death. To learn more about the Bentley scholarship and others provided through NCCF, visit nccommunityfoundation.org/Scholarships.
About the Watauga County Community Foundation
The Watauga County Community Foundation is an affiliate of NCCF that has served the community since 1993. It is led by a local volunteer advisory board that helps build community assets through the creation of permanent endowments, makes grants and leverages leadership – all for the benefit of Watauga County. To learn more, visit nccommunityfoundation.org/Watauga.
About the North Carolina Community Foundation
The North Carolina Community Foundation brings together generous people and connects them to causes and organizations they care about, with a focus on inspiring lasting and meaningful philanthropy in the state’s rural communities.
With $460 million in assets, NCCF sustains over 1,300 endowments and partners with donors and a network of affiliates in 60 counties to strengthen our state. By stewarding and growing donors’ gifts, NCCF makes a powerful impact through a robust grants and scholarships program, awarding over $300 million since 1988. For more information, visit nccommunityfoundation.org.
