Memorial Scholarship Honors Warhill Graduate, Supports Students With Learning Differences

WILLIAMSBURG — A new memorial scholarship honoring the life of Josh Barkley, a Warhill High School graduate, aims to support students with learning differences — a cause deeply personal to his family.

The Josh Barkley Memorial Scholarship was recently launched to assist students with a learning plan as they pursue college, trade school or certification programs. The scholarship was created in memory of Josh Barkley, a young man his mother, Tena Barkley, described as vibrant, active and full of joy.

“He just loved life. He was always in the water, wanting to be in the water — swimming, boating. Favorite vacations were cruises,” his mother said.

Josh Barkley’s life was cut short after he was struck by a vehicle on Christmas Eve 2023.

“When he died, his girlfriend was pregnant, and she gave birth 11 days after he passed,” Barkley said.

The idea for the scholarship came as a surprise.

“It was actually my sister who thought it up,” she said. “They wanted to do something, and then my sister Lisa approached a friend who’s a teacher at Warhill and asked her how to get started. She helped do a lot of the background work, and when they were ready, they surprised me with it.”

Barkley said she learned about the scholarship only weeks before it launched.

“They weren’t sure I would be OK with it, but it’s a wonderful idea,” she said.

The scholarship reflects Josh Barkley’s educational journey. He was placed on a learning plan in kindergarten and faced challenges throughout school.

“Josh had learning difficulties, and he was on an IEP, so he struggled all the way through school,” Barkley said. “This scholarship is unique because one of the criteria is that you have to be on a learning plan, which, as far as we know, there are no other scholarships like that.”

Barkley said she hopes the scholarship sparks broader conversations about how schools support students with learning differences.

“Let them take advantage of everything that is in their learning plan so they can get what’s needed and learn how they need to be taught,” she said.

She added that students should understand what is included in their learning plans and learn how to advocate for themselves in the classroom.

“Josh was so unique in the way that he learned, but it was difficult because there weren’t the resources,” she said. “Kids need to be aware of what’s in their learning plans and how to advocate for themselves.”

For Barkley, seeing her son’s name attached to a scholarship carries deep meaning.

“It’s a way for us to keep his name alive,” she said. “It just means so much because we don’t want him to be forgotten. If this is a way to carry on his legacy, that’s important to us.”

She hopes recipients understand one key message:

“Just because you learn differently doesn’t mean you can’t succeed,” she said. “Josh had self-esteem problems, and I think a lot of these kids do too. They know they’re not like the typical student, and a lot of them think there’s something wrong with them because they don’t learn the same way.”

If Josh were alive to see the scholarship, Barkley believes he would be proud.

“I think he would be thrilled — so happy for other kids to get the opportunity to go to college,” she said. “This scholarship doesn’t require a high GPA. If they can get into college, trade school or a certification program, we’re there to help.”

Above all, she hopes the community remembers one thing when they hear her son’s name:

“His love of life.”

The scholarship is accepting applications, and the family is working to spread the word throughout the Williamsburg area to ensure local students are aware of the opportunity.

To learn more about the scholarship, visit bold.org/scholarships/josh-barkley-memorial-scholarship.