photo by: Emma Delk

Wheeling Central Catholic High School senior Luke Tiu stands with Principal Rebecca Sancomb outside the school after being named a WVU Foundation Scholar.

When Central Catholic High School senior Luke Tiu joined a follow-up Zoom meeting for West Virginia University’s Bucklew Scholarship recipients, he did not expect WVU President Gordon Gee to pop up on his screen.

He was then shocked when Gee informed him that he would join an elite group in the school’s history as one of the five 2025-26 WVU Foundation Scholars.

The Foundation Scholarship is the university’s highest academic scholarship, and Tiu is the first Central student to receive the honor in more than 10 years. Valued at more than $90,000, the scholarship will cover college costs for four years of undergraduate studies, including tuition and fees, room and board and a book stipend.

Tiu’s cohort of scholars includes Paige Fox from Pikeview High School, Noah Galvin from Martinsburg High School, Emily Garrett from Braxton County High School and Zoey Hoffman from Buffalo High School.

“I was so surprised when I saw Gordon Gee on my screen,” Tiu recalled. “I had no idea they would tell me I got that scholarship. It was a complete shock.”

Tiu’s journey to receive the scholarship began with his application for the Bucklew Scholarship, which requires a minimum grade point average of 3.8 and a minimum composite score of 30 on the ACT or the equivalent SAT score. Tiu was one of the 50 to 60 students selected from the initial application pool to interview over the phone for the Bucklew.

After being named one of the 20 Bucklew Scholars, Tiu traveled to Morgantown to be interviewed by former Foundation Scholars and Honors College faculty for the Foundation Scholarship.

As he moved through the application process, Tiu said he felt “pretty confident” in the quality of his three essays and his phone and in-person interviews.

“My phone interview went very well,” Tiu noted. “It was very personable, so I was happy when I got the Bucklew. I was already happy to receive the Bucklew, so it was a great surprise when I got the Foundation as well.”

Tiu points to his unique career aspirations as what set him apart during the application process. With most of his family involved in the medical field, Tiu plans to use his biology degree as an unorthodox path to law school.

Tiu’s father, Jeremy Tiu, owns the private practice Tiu Ear, Nose, Throat and Allergy. Tiu’s mother, Melissa Tiu, is a registered nurse and works as the Office Manager at the practice.

Though much of his family is involved in medicine, a medical career was not in the cards for Tiu. After shadowing at his father’s practice, Tiu realized there was one thing holding him back–his squeamishness.

“I had to help my dad once last minute at the clinic, and there were a lot of ears that needed to be cleaned that day,” Tiu recalled. “My dad was doing that, and I was so grossed out when I helped him on one case. After that, I thought, ‘I can’t do this, a career in medicine is not for me.'”

After speaking with his uncle James Tiu, who majored in biology in college before heading to law school, Tiu realized he could use his love for STEM outside the medical field as a health policy lawyer. Tiu plans to major in biology and minor in law and legal studies at WVU.

“I come from a family where a ton of people majored in biology — my dad, uncle and grandfather are all doctors, and my mother is a nurse,” Tiu said. “I’ve always liked the sciences and reading and writing, so I figured, why can’t I combine the two and go to law school?”

Tiu hopes his unique major will set him apart on his law school applications. With his law degree, Tiu hopes to help improve West Virginians’ health by working on state health policies.

“West Virginia is towards the bottom of the totem pole in a lot of health statistics, and growing up in a health-oriented family, I think it would be nice to improve the health of West Virginia,” Tiu said. “My parents always preach to me about giving back, no matter what I do with my career and make my community a better place, whether I was a garbage man or CEO, so that’s what I’d like to do.”

Though he is still at least four years away from attending law school, Tiu noted that having a well-thought-out plan for his college career and what he plans to do afterwards helped him during the Foundation Scholarship application process.

“I think it’s too early for me to be completely set in my career path, but I think they like to hear that applicants have a plan heading into school,” Tiu said. “I’m going to head into college with an open mind and let it shape me from there.”

In addition to having a thorough plan for college, Tiu credits his four years at Central with earning him the scholarship. As a third-generation Central student, Tiu said he was shaped by the same values his family members learned at the school.

“You learn how to be an adult at Central Catholic High School,” Tiu said. “You learn how to talk to adults and be professional, which is another thing they’re looking for. All my interviews for the scholarship went very well, and I think Central played a large part in that.”

Central Catholic Principal Rebecca Sancomb said Tiu entered the school “ready to make an impact,” and thought he achieved that goal. In addition to being a “phenomenal student,” Sancomb noted Tiu’s character was even more impressive than his academic achievements.

“Luke is a phenomenal student, and I have no question he will excel at that level,” Sancomb said. “However, as good a student as he is, he’s a better person. Luke is just a good human being, and his faith, how he treats people and his commitment to serving are all very much part of our mission here. As much as he says that we shaped him, he has really lived our mission here at CCHS and impacted others in the same way.”

Tiu noted that his next step of heading to college would be a “huge one,” but he felt prepared and ready to enjoy the experience. He added that he was excited to possibly study abroad in Japan, with the $4,500 stipend each Foundation Scholar receives, to diversify his academic journey.

“I’m extremely grateful to everyone who’s helped me get to this point, I couldn’t have done any of this without so much help, and I couldn’t even list everyone who helped me,” Tiu said. “I’m extremely grateful to WVU, my school, my family and to God.”