Paulo Furches Memorial Scholarship Fund
Paulo Furches was a dedicated employee in the Buncombe County Schools (BCS) Technology Services Department for over 25 years. He graduated from Enka High School in 1990 and began his career at Enka High School in February 2001 as a technician. He worked his way up to become the BCS Wide Area Network Engineer several years later.
Paulo loved computers and was a genius at implementing and troubleshooting. He literally knew every computer in the BCS system. Paulo loved photography, astronomy, and spending time with his family. He was also known for his love of Coca Cola to the point that the Technology Services Department had a Coke machine installed just for him. His love for McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and pizza was unending, and he was also a lover of life.
Paulo succumbed to a rare cancer in July 2023. This scholarship fund has been established in his name in order to help students that want to continue their education in a field that he loved.
The Scholarship Details
Eligibility: High School Seniors from all BCS high schools that have demonstrated academic success, have interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), and will be majoring in a STEM area (priority will be given to Information Technology, Network Management, Cybersecurity or Computer Science Majors).
Final Selection Process: Based on the criteria below, the BCSF scholarship committee/Paulo’s family may choose to interview each applicant. The scholarship recipient will receive the scholarship award at the school’s awards program from a family representative or the Buncombe County Schools Foundation.
Selection Criteria: Candidates will be selected upon the basis of the following factors:
Proof of overall grade point average – (please submit your transcript)
Two letters of recommendation
Participation in STEM school activities
Essay about love of computers or the technology field.
Award: The scholarship is a one-time, non-renewable award and may be used at a community college or 4-year school.
Receiving this scholarship will not impact a student’s ability to receive other scholarships.
Dell Laptop Bundle Details
The 2025 Laptop Raffle winner will receive:
16", Touch, FHD+, LCD, 300 nits, FHD HDR IR, 4G/5G capable, mic
Intel® Core™ Ultra Processor, AI PC
Windows 11 Pro
NVIDIA® RTX™ Pro Graphics
256GB, M.2 2230, Gen4 PCIe NVMe, SSD, Class 35 Hard Drive
16GB: 2x8GB, DDR5, 5600 MT/s, SoDIMM, Dual Channel, non-ECC Memory
Full-SD and smart card reader
USB-C port
Lock slot
HDMI Port
Thunderbolt 4(2) (Power/Docking Station)
Dell Pro Wireless Headset - WL3024
Dell Pro Keyboard and Mouse -F56VK74
7 IN 1 USB-C Multiport Adapter - DA310
TWIST AND GO Travel Mouse - M5700
Dell EcoLoop Pro Backpack - CP5723
Dell Docking Station Phone Charger -HD22Q-BB
Value...................$5,000.00
How do I enter the raffle?
Raffle Timeline:
The raffle will take place from November 3rd through November 23rd, 2025. The winner will be announced on December 1st and the winner must come to the BCSF office, in person, to receive the laptop bundle.
Buy an entry online:
Complete this online form to purchase an entry for the Paulo Furches Memorial Scholarship Dell laptop raffle. A $1.00 service charge is added for credit card transactions for each entry.
Buy an entry with cash or check:
Visit the BCS Foundation Office (C148) in the Central Services building located between School Nutrition and Special Services. Monday through Thursday between 8:00 am to noon to purchase an entry for the Paulo Furches Memorial Scholarship Dell laptop raffle.
Our Goal:
Sell 1000 - $25 entries. The raffle will end on December 15th regardless of the number of entries sold.
Winner Selection:
Raffle ticket entries will be uploaded to random.org for a winner to be selected and announced on December 18th by the BCSF. Multiple entries have multiple chances to win.
Direct Questions To:
BCS Foundation, 175 Bingham Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
828-232-4190
Christy Cheek, crystal.cheek@bcsemail.org
Disclaimers: The BCSF has the final say on all decisions. The sponsors are to be held harmless for any liability, damages or losses incurred by participants. The winner is responsible for any taxes associated with their winnings. The winner takes sole responsibility for set up and maintenance of the equipment won in this raffle.
Buncombe County Schools Foundation, Inc. has qualified for exemption from Federal Income Taxes as a nonprofit corporation under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Taxpayer ID# 58-1685536.