Meet Our Strategic Partners: The Saunders Family and the Cynthia Louise Saunders Scholarship

Four children remember a mother whose open door, generous spirit, and belief in education are becoming a lasting gift to future generations.

Some partnerships begin with an introduction. This one begins with family.

For the Eugene and Beverly Stradwick Heritage Foundation, welcoming the family behind the Cynthia Louise Saunders Scholarship carries a particularly personal meaning.

Cynthia Pervall Saunders was Beverly Pervall Stradwick’s niece. 

Her children are part of our extended family, and the stories they share belong to the larger history of Black family life, community, and possibility in Wheeling.

But you did not have to be related to Cynthia to find a place in her home.

Ask her four children—Craig, Kim, Gerald, and Damion—and familiar scenes emerge: neighborhood cookouts, Sunday dinners, music, laughter, and a house that always seemed capable of accommodating one more person. Friends found another mother. Young people found someone willing to listen. Family members found somewhere to stay.

Her children also found someone who insisted that their beginnings would not determine how far they could go.

Now, through a scholarship being developed at West Virginia University, that encouragement will reach students who never had the opportunity to meet her.

In this installment of EBSHF’s Meet Our Strategic Partners,  all four children share their memories of Cynthia, the Wheeling neighborhoods that shaped them, and their hopes for an educational legacy bearing their mother’s name.

Please introduce yourselves and tell us about your backgrounds, your relationship to Cynthia, and your connections to Wheeling.

Craig: I’m Craig Lamont Saunders, Cynthia Louise Saunders’s oldest son. I was born and raised in Wheeling and graduated from Wheeling Park High School.

I attended Duquesne University, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and an MBA. I spent 35 years in medical sales before retiring in 2025.

Kim: My name is Kim Saunders. I am the second-oldest and only daughter of Cynthia’s four children. My roots run deep in Wheeling, particularly East Wheeling, where I spent my childhood and formative years.

Professionally, I am a social worker with master’s degrees in Public Policy and Social Work. I have worked in education for sixteen years and currently work to improve the culture and climate of school systems in Columbus, Ohio.

My experiences growing up in Wheeling continue to influence my work, particularly my belief in community, relationships, and shared responsibility.

Gerald: My name is Gerald L. Saunders Jr., and I am the third child born to Cynthia Louise Saunders and Gerald L. Saunders Sr. I was born and raised in East Wheeling.

I am an elementary physical education teacher in the Olentangy Local School District in Central Ohio. I attended West Virginia University, earning both my undergraduate and master’s degrees while serving as a reservist in the U.S. Navy.

Damion: I am the youngest of Cynthia’s four children. I spent my early years in Vineyard Hills and grew into adolescence around the 14th-to-16th Street area of East Wheeling.

I attended Clay School and Wheeling Junior High before going to Wheeling Central for high school. I have spent most of my professional life in sales and presently live in the Columbus area.

For readers who never had the pleasure of knowing Cynthia, what was she like?

Gerald: Cynthia was the life of the party. Our home was a central part of the community. On any given day or weekend, it was filled with friends of each of my siblings.

She was a second mother, a friend, and a confidant to many people. Even after relocating to Columbus, her tiny ranch home hosted events that probably should have been held in much larger accommodations!

Craig: My mother never judged anyone. She always had an open door to discuss any topic, even uncomfortable ones.

She often listened to young ladies in the neighborhood who felt uncomfortable discussing certain problems with their own parents. Her home welcomed anyone who needed a safe space, a place to stay, or somewhere to hang out, have fun, and laugh.

Kim: Cynthia loved and valued her family, friends, and community. She believed in hard work, integrity, and understanding the human experience. She gave us the grace to learn from our mistakes while holding us accountable for our choices.

She often reminded us, “I would rather you learn from me than on the streets.” That led to honest, sometimes difficult conversations. She believed in teaching through experience, truth, and love.

We frequently had family members living with us. She hosted holidays, birthdays, and weekly dinners. Sunday dinners were especially meaningful: watching football, sharing meals, and talking about life. Music filled the house, and there was always room for laughter and conversation.

Her generosity was simply how she lived.

Damion: My mom was always giving of herself to me and my siblings.

After she passed away, we heard stories from friends and cousins about memories they had with her. Many were personal and deep—times when she had given advice full of her wisdom. Those stories helped show us just how much she had meant to people beyond our immediate family.

What memories of growing up in Wheeling have stayed with you, and how did those experiences shape your sense of community?

Photo taken at Cynthia's retirement party in Columbus, OH - Oct 2012

Left to right - Beverly Pervall Stradwick, Keith Pervall, Cynthia Pervall

Craig: Living in Vineyard Hills, we never even locked our doors. We had huge cookouts with neighbors and friends. During those summertime cookouts, we would hook up a hose and squirt everyone to keep cool.

The more, the merrier. It felt like all of Vineyard Hills was your family.

Many of those same people are still family friends fifty years later.

Damion: I have always told my kids that, of all the places I have traveled or lived, there is no place like East Wheeling, particularly Vineyard Hills.

I woke up every day with hundreds of built-in friends. No plans, no schedule—but every day was fun.

Gerald: Wheeling will always be home. It may not be where I currently reside, but it remains at the center of who I am today.

From our beginnings in Vineyard Hills to the different addresses we called home in East Wheeling, Cynthia was the foundation that helped build four children into the adults we became.

Kim: I remember playing Red Light, Green Light, hide-and-seek, and jacks. We went to the tunnel to watch softball and baseball games and walked to Clay School in all kinds of weather.

Later, there was Elks Playground, basketball at the Nelson Jordan Center, the trampoline, and Park High football games on Friday nights. We looked forward to Halloween and the Fourth of July.

Everyone looked out for one another and held one another accountable.

Some of my favorite memories are of my mother telling stories.

She was our family historian. She loved talking about the family’s movement from South Wheeling to East Wheeling and how people supported one another.

Because of what she instilled in me, I naturally assumed that family-historian role. I want our history to continue being told, and I want future generations to understand their heritage and the people who came before them.

What place did education hold in your household, and what lessons did Cynthia pass along?

Gerald: Education was the foundation on which the family stood.

Cynthia began having children at a young age and completed her GED at sixteen. She recognized that education would be the catalyst for moving our lives forward.

We have had countless conversations about why our family found the successes we did. Grit and determination are the answers. Cynthia instilled those qualities in each of us.

Craig: Having left school and later earned her GED, she instilled the importance of education in all her children.

I remember her telling me, “You can be anything you want to be if you apply yourself. Even the President.”

And you know what? I believed her.

She gave me the sense that I could move forward if I applied myself and did the right things.

She knew education was the vehicle.

To this day, I continue learning about subjects I know little about, especially the achievements of Africans throughout world history. It is frustrating to see how much of that history and its impact American education dismisses.

Damion: Our mother obtained her GED before she was scheduled to graduate so she could go to work. In every area of life, she wanted better for us than she had.

She believed the things you learned were the things people could never take from you. She was an avid reader and loved Scrabble. Watching Jeopardy! with her was amazing—she seemed to know every answer.

She taught us to strive for what we wanted. Those are lessons I continue sharing with others.

Kim: My mother later returned to Northern Community College to study computers. Her determination showed us that education is not limited by where you begin.

She encouraged us to become comfortable with computers and instilled a love of reading. We played Scrabble to build vocabulary, and family nights included board games and storytelling. We talked about higher education and traveling so we could better understand the world.

She also taught integrity and the importance of protecting your reputation. She wanted us to become knowledgeable, principled, thoughtful people.

Looking back, I see her wisdom coming to fruition. I have earned two master’s degrees, my daughter is a nurse, and my granddaughter is in her second year of college. Those accomplishments reflect the foundation our mother built.

What inspired the scholarship, and why was West Virginia University the right home for this tribute?

Gerald: West Virginia is where it all began for our family. Wherever life takes us, country roads take us home.

We wanted Cynthia’s legacy to live on and make a difference in the lives of future students attending West Virginia University.

Damion: Gerald spearheaded this effort. He is a proud WVU graduate, and his son has also gone there to pursue multiple degrees.

None of us has forgotten where we came from. Putting the scholarship together has reminded us that where we are now is not where we started. It feels good to help someone else realize a dream.

Kim: WVU is meaningful because of our family’s connection to the university and Gerald’s experience as a student.

I am not as much of a sports fan as my brothers, but I believe strongly in our mother’s spirit of giving through education.

We understand the importance of perseverance, opportunity, and having people who believe in you. This scholarship allows us to turn our gratitude into an opportunity for another generation.

Why was supporting first-generation college students especially important?

Gerald: As first-generation college students ourselves, we have seen firsthand what a college education can do for future generations within a family tree.

We hope to help another student take that monumental first step.

Craig: We wanted to help students who have the ability to become college graduates. We do not want cost to become the obstacle that prevents them from getting there.

Damion: My oldest brother went to college, and that gave me the belief that it was possible.

College was not as common a thought in the community we came from as it is today. When Gerald moved into the dorms at WVU, he had never been to Morgantown. That is hard to imagine in the mobile world we live in now.

Thinking that this scholarship could help change what a family believes is possible is inspiring.

Kim: Getting into college is only one part of the journey. Students also have to afford tuition, books, food, housing, and everything else that comes with pursuing a degree.

Gerald experienced those challenges firsthand. He would come home hungry and take canned goods and other food back to school. That gave our family a personal understanding of the sacrifices students make to stay in college.

Students can leave because they lack money or a support system, rather than ability or ambition. First-generation students may also be navigating an unfamiliar system without the guidance others have.

We want this scholarship to provide assistance and encouragement—to remind a student that someone believes in their potential.

Cynthia was Beverly Pervall Stradwick’s niece. What does partnering with EBSHF mean to your family?

Gerald: I am proud of EBSHF for preserving the Black history of Wheeling.

Many of the city’s structures no longer stand, but the foundation remains intact.

Craig: This work shows how talented and accomplished our families have been, and how much other African Americans from our community achieved despite the obstacles.

Eugene and Beverly set a great example for our family and the community. It is an honor to partner with EBSHF, and I am proud that Terrill is keeping this legacy alive.

Damion: Growing up in East Wheeling brought an amazing feeling of community. Within that community, family was another level.

The Stradwick family was vital in my mother’s childhood and development. Being connected to this effort through Terrill and the family is an honor.

Kim: My mother shared wonderful stories about growing up in the same household as Beverly and her other aunts and uncles.

She described Beverly’s mother—her own grandmother—as the pillar of the family. She admired her work ethic and remembered her working three jobs.

As one of the older grandchildren, after Dicky, Michael, and Larry, my mother often looked out for younger cousins. Deborah shares stories about how much she and the others loved her. They thought she was much older than they were, even when the age difference was small.

She naturally became a protector, a trusted voice, and a keeper of family history.

Partnering with EBSHF continues that work on a broader scale. We can preserve our shared heritage, celebrate the people who shaped our communities, and create opportunities for those coming after us.

What can you share about the scholarship’s intended recipients, funding goals, and anticipated awards?

Gerald: Our funding goal is 2031, with the first awards anticipated for the fall semester of 2032. We expect scholarship awards to be administered through WVU’s financial aid office on the basis of financial need.

Kim: Our family’s vision is to support first-generation African American and other minority students who have faced challenges and may not have believed college was possible.

We want students to understand that past academic struggles or financial circumstances do not have to define their futures.

The scholarship is still in development, and final eligibility requirements, application procedures, and award arrangements are being established. We look forward to sharing official details as they become available.

For students and families: Consult the WVU Hub for university financial aid and scholarship guidance. The dates above represent the family’s goals; scholarship-specific requirements and award information will come through WVU as arrangements are finalized.

Looking ten or twenty years ahead, what would you most love to hear from a scholarship recipient?

Gerald: That the funding was the last hurdle they needed to overcome to get across the finish line.

Craig: That the scholarship money, no matter how small, made the difference in completing their studies.

Damion: That it helped someone who did not think furthering their education was possible get over the hump.

Kim: I would love to hear how it helped a student achieve something they once thought was impossible.

Even more, I would love to hear that they chose to pay it forward.

That is what my mother did throughout her life. She opened her home, shared wisdom, supported people through difficult times, and made sure others knew they mattered.

If a recipient carries that spirit forward by mentoring another student, supporting family, serving the community, or creating opportunities for others, my mother’s legacy will continue growing.

How can readers learn more or help—and what should they remember about Cynthia?

Gerald: Additional contributions could help us reach our funding goal sooner. Anyone interested in learning how to support the effort can contact me at GLS20771@gmail.com.

Kim: As the scholarship develops, we look forward to sharing official contribution and applicant information through the appropriate WVU channels.

In the meantime, we welcome people sharing its purpose with students, families, educators, and others who believe in education.

Above all, remember Cynthia as someone who loved deeply, gave generously, valued learning, and believed in community. She understood that circumstances do not define someone’s worth or potential.

Her legacy is a way of living—rooted in service, learning, family, and helping others move forward.

Damion: What I hope students hold in their spirits is that Ms. Cynthia wants them to better themselves through education—and that she is looking down on them, smiling.

A Home That Keeps Making Room

Four children. Four perspectives. And, running through all of them, a remarkably consistent portrait.

Cynthia welcomed people.

She also challenged them, listened to them, laughed with them, and expected them to keep learning. Her home could accommodate a celebration larger than its floor plan suggested.

Her conversations could make room for subjects other people found difficult.

Her confidence in her children helped them imagine lives they had not yet seen.

The new memories shared by Kim and Damion bring that portrait into even sharper focus.

There is Cynthia watching Jeopardy!, reading, playing Scrabble, and returning to study computers. There is the mother who understood that learning could continue after an interrupted education. There is the family historian telling stories about South Wheeling, East Wheeling, and a grandmother whose work held a household together.

And there are her children, carrying those lessons into classrooms, school systems, professional careers, their own families, and now this scholarship.

Kim’s memories of Gerald taking food back to college are especially meaningful. They bring the scholarship’s purpose down to the practical level where students live. Opportunity can depend on something as ordinary as having enough to eat, enough for books, or enough support to remain enrolled.

The family knows those pressures. Their hopes for future students come from experience.

For EBSHF, this partnership connects two forms of care across generations: preserving the lives and stories that shaped us, and helping someone else move toward a future of their own.

Cynthia’s children are doing both.

Someday, a student may see Cynthia Louise Saunders on a scholarship award without knowing about the Vineyard Hills cookouts, the Sunday dinners, or the woman who seemed to know every answer on television.

Through this story, we hope that student can meet her.

And perhaps, years later, they will make room for someone else.

I grew up with her children and was always welcome in her home. I miss Cynthia terribly.

Photo taken at the Elks Panhandle # 74 - September 2019

Row 1 - Kim Saunders, Terrence Gosa, Michael Pervall, Gerald Saunders, Damion Saunders, Terrill Gosa

Row 2 - Mona Pervall White, Cynthia Pervall Saunders

Row 3 - Deborah Stradwick, Domica Stradwick

Row 4 - Sharon Stradwick, Monetta Gosa Kirchner

-T