- The arts are very important and I feel like there are a lot of artistic geniuses that just don't get a chance to get seen.

And I thank you all that you all have been part of this journey with me.

And now I can pass it down.

I can give out scholarships to children who want to pursue arts and who want to take it to that next level.

- The Jay Pharoah Fine Arts Scholarship can be applied for by any senior in the public high school system in Chesapeake and any senior at IC Norcom who's focused on the arts.

It's a $5,000 scholarship and depending on the funding that we've received, sometimes we may award two scholarships.

Sometimes we may award three scholarships, and this year I think we're focused on awarding four scholarships.

- Launching my foundation.

Man, I'm so happy.

This has been 11 years in the make that we are doing our first event.

- He said, I wanna do a scholarship for, and he'd give it to Indian River.

So every year, you know, they would submit and we then we were selected.

He I and Shayna, you know, and he'd give a $5,000 scholarship.

He would just give the scholarship out of his pocket.

It wasn't until 2022 that we initiated The Pharoah Phamily Phoundation.

- I just wanted to say that the Pharoah family has done so much for me.

This scholarship has given me a way to kind of follow my passions and continue my work.

Being a creative.

- So sometimes we have fundraising events, people that come, they have such a great time.

- Oh, I just wanna take a second to thank the Pharoah Phamily Phoundation for having me come out to this event right here.

- TowneBank, they've been donating to us.

Truist Bank started supporting us last year to print.

Congressmen and delegates have been supporting us, but I'm still looking for donors to support us.

- Honestly, I say this is one of the most life-changing opportunities I've ever had.

Really, with most organizations, they just pretty much give you the money.

Then it is, whatever you do is on you.

But I feel like with Jay it was very different.

- Once you win, Jay says, oh, you part of the Pharoah fam.

It's more than just the initial funding source.

You know, it's being part of a community.

We always try to connect with the scholarship winners.

We'll see if we can set up a zoo.

- We just wanted to do a check-in and see how everybody was doing Over the past year, we know it's been pretty arduous for everybody, especially with the transition between going from high school to college.

Yeah.

I'm glad to see you all alive kicking and doing well.

- How's everybody doing?

Where's everybody at?

What can y'all tell us about your journey - Living in Philly versus living Virginia is two totally different things.

Yeah.

The people, the way the city's built, the way you get from one place to another.

It was very difficult for me, like for the first three weeks, like I was missing my mom's home cooking.

I don't want some sweet tea.

They, I don't got no sweet tea in the normal.

- That's the connection and that's what Jay wants to do.

He wants to be a part of the journey.

- Our first scholarship winner is Phoenix Banks.

Our second recipient for the 2025 J Farrell Scholarship Award is Isabella Capri Rinaldi.

- They're very supportive.

Ramona Farrow, she keeps in touch.

It's very nice.

There's not a lot of art local scholarships at all.

There's like a lot for teaching.

There's a lot for like the sciences and doctors, but then there is only this Jay Pharoah scholarship for the arts.

- What you can do with the arts, if you take it to another level, you have no boundaries.

There's no limits.

- They mentioned how I wrote about wanting to make good quality Christian films and they supported me on that.

They said how important it was for those kinds of movies to be out there.

I do remember them coming up to me during the banquet and telling me that themselves.

- We also are a very religious family.

- I am Jean Malice Thornton, one half of the rap group clips.

It's always a pleasure to share my experience with community and fellow creatives as there is an abundance of wealth in shared information.

So I give thanks to my creator in the name of Jesus for my gifts and for my talents.

- We see you.

I see you.

The foundation sees you.

- In my opinion, God gives you a gift.

It's not for you, it's for you to give out.

It's to, for you to help somebody else.

That's what we're trying to do.