Father’s tribute leads to commemorative scholarship for son and daughter
Kim Price Lapsley and Mark Price are honored with a new scholarship for Turner Ashby High School students. Both graduated from TA.
Two Turner Ashby High School students were the recipients of new scholarships offered this year in memory of a brother and sister who graduated from the Dayton school.
Local resident Joseph Price set up the awards to honor his son Mark Hamilton Price and daughter Kimberly Jo Price Lapsley. Mark graduated in 1982 and Kimberly in 1991.
“As we worked with Mr. Price, he shared memories of his children’s success at TA,” said Revlan Hill, executive director. “Mark was manager of TA’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ football team and enjoyed his classes in art. Kimberly participated on the VACE academic bowl team, fielding questions about literature and language. Turner Ashby was obviously a big influence on their lives, and it made the most sense for Mr. Price to set up a scholarship to benefit current students at the high school that had supported his children’s interests and helped them grow as students and people.”
Awardees Getsemany Pineda and Cai Johnstone-Yellin both plan to attend Massanutten Technical Center.
Pineda, a midfielder for three years on the Knights soccer team, is heading into the electrical field, with the goal of owning a business in the future. He is planning a full schedule of courses to expedite his learning before apprenticeship, so the funding will help defray some of those costs, he said.
Asked to name someone who has inspired him through high school, Pineda named his father. “He works hard for our family and you will never see him with a sad face. He is always joyful and makes his family happy as well.”
Pineda says he is honored to be a recipient: “I really appreciate the help and will be putting it in good use for my future as an electrician. It means a lot winning this award!”
Johnstone-Yellin comes from a family of tradesmen. He plans to pursue welding. He’s taken several courses at MTC already, where a simulated workplace environment is used to prepare students for the workforce. As project manager, Johnstone-Yellin led a crew of peer “subcontractors” through several projects, earning praise from instructors.
For Joseph Price, the scholarship offers a way to remember his children while giving hope and support to a younger generation of TA graduates. He continues to miss both of his children — Mark died in 2024 and Kimberly in 2014.
Though neither his son nor daughter worked in the trades or attended vocational school, Price decided after reviewing other local scholarship offerings that creating an award for vocational education met his goals. One vocational education course has the potential to change the trajectory of a life – and offer immediate skills to apply in the labor force.
Mark, a Dayton resident, was the byproducts coordinator at Lakeside Books in Harrisonburg. He loved the outdoors, hunting, riding horses and motorcycles, as well as cooking for friends and family. His homemade barbecue sauce is still remembered and his pitchfork turkey in peanut oil was always a Thanksgiving treat. Mark was a drummer and enjoyed making and listening to music. His last dog, Zeba, was a constant companion.
Kimberly was also a musician, performing with her husband and the 100 Proof bluegrass band. She was a great gourmet chef. She loved spending time on St. John’s in the U.S. Virgin Islands with friends she’d made there over many trips. She graduated with honors and a degree in English literature from Mary Baldwin University, studied at Oxford University (U.K.), and was a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the national English majors honor society. As did her brother, she loved her dogs and was a member of the “Save A Lab” program.
In future years, the Mark and Kimberly Vocational Scholarships are to be awarded to one graduating male student and one graduating female student at Turner Ashby High School.
