DANVILLE — Good grades and good character have paid off for five young people with ties to Vermilion County.

The five are the recipients of scholarships given by Dwight Adkins, owner of the catering business C&D; Barbeque. The businessman awards the money every year to young people who are trying to improve their lives.

This year, two scholarships worth $1,000 each and three worth $500 each were given to the students. The recipients are: Matthew Kestufskie, Sydney Forman, Bryson M. Murray, Raven S. Brooks and Morgan Williams.

Adkins, a Georgetown native, said the students were chosen based on their grades and their character. He wanted to honor “someone who’ll be a bright light for Danville when they leave (to pursue their education or a career).”

More than 90 percent of his recipients graduate from college, he said, and some have gone on to Harvard and Yale.

“It’s something I’m very proud of,” Adkins said.

His scholarship program was started in 1987 in an effort to give back to the community that was good to him. He didn’t take school seriously when he was young, but a lot of people reached out and helped him succeed.

Funds for the scholarships come from his business profits and from his own pocket, he said, adding community members have made donations, too. “I want to thank Danville and the community for everything they’ve done to make this possible,” he said. “It wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the surrounding community.”

Adkins said he never dreamed the scholarship program would grow to this magnitude.

The recipients provided their backgrounds:

— Sydney Machelle Forman, 18, graduated from Danville High School this year. She is studying at Danville Area Community College to become a registered nurse; she’s now a certified nurse’s aide. After leaving DACC, she plans to attend a two-year university to earn a master’s in nursing with the goal of becoming a neonatal nurse.

At DHS, she was involved in several extracurricular activities and stayed academically focused at the same time. She was involved in Young Women Aware, Y-Teens, educational talent search, pompettes and the college prep program AVID. She also volunteered at the local food pantry and Crosspoint Human Services. She graduated with a 3.0 grade point average, No. 71 out of 272 students.

She is the daughter of Lisa Robinson and Michael Forman.

— Raven S. Brooks is the daughter of Eliza Brooks and Erik Swanson. She attended North Ridge Middle School, where she was a member of the band, Jazz Band, track team and Principal Scholars Program, and also managed to stay on the honor roll all three years.

She graduated from Danville High School in 2008. She was in the AVID program, a member of the marching band, co-captain of the pompette squad and on the track team.

She is attending Danville Area Community College, where she is enrolled in the nursing program. Brooks is seeking her CNA license so she can gain experience in the nursing field.

She attends Carter Metropolitan C.M.E., where she belongs to the Faithful Voice Choir and lends a hand wherever she is needed.

— Matthew Kestufskie attends Northwestern University in Evanston, majoring in environmental studies.

He attended Georgetown-Ridge Farm High School for one year and transferred to Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, N.J., graduating in June.

At the end of his first year at Lawrenceville, he was awarded the Isaac Brown award for good character and spirit and the Elgin Award for outstanding character. He was elected president of his house, Hamill, for his junior year. During that year, he teamed with a Hamill housemate from India to organize a special night of music and food to raise $2,000 in support of cancer treatment at a hospital in India.

He earned varsity letter L in cross country, track and baseball and was a campus tour guide for two years. He also was captain of his house football team. With his classmates in environmental studies this spring, he traveled to the Amazon to complete his class work.

— Morgan Williams, formerly of Danville, attended Oak Park High School, graduating with a 3.0 grade point average. She’s attending Illinois State University, where she’s majoring in pre-law. Her goals are to practice law — and to take over C&D; Barbecue someday. She is Adkins’ niece.

Williams is the daughter of Evonne Williams and Morris Davis, who are from Danville.

— Bryson M. Murray, formerly of Georgetown, is the son of Michael and Marilyn Murray of Fishers, Ind.

He graduated this year from Hamilton South Eastern High School, where he was an honor roll student and took advanced classes in math, English and environment. He played football four years (conference champs four years and sectional champs in 2008); rugby, two years (Indiana Division II state champs in 2008); and track and field, one year.

He also did community service each year, including youth football camps.

Murray attends Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., majoring in business marketing and playing on the rugby team.