Hannah White
ROCKINGHAM — Hannah White received a surprise in the mail around Christmas.
It wasn’t a gift from a friend or a family member, but rather a letter to inform her she was selected as one of First Tee’s 66 scholars this year.
A participant with the Sandhills’ First Tee chapter since 2007, White was chosen out of a field of 88 applicants. Among the requirements are a GPA of at least 3.0, a minimum score of 425 of each of the three parts of the SAT or a score of 18 on the ACT as well as participation in the First Tee organization.
“It felt really great,” said White. “I am one of two people from Richmond County who go to First Tee. I wish more people would get involved, but I understand it is a ways to go.”
The 66 winners are eligible for Leadership Scholarships offered by any of the 19 partnering college and universities, which includes Illinois, Maryland, New York University and Notre Dame.
Another school which participates in the program is Georgetown College in Kentucky. The school’s president, William Crouch, started the scholars program in 2001 by offering two full scholarships to First Tee participants.
White added she applied to Georgetown and met Crouch, but decided the distance was too great. She plans on attending Wingate University in the fall.
Bill Baker, the local chapter’s executive director, believes White is a great example of why the program was created.
“Hannah embodies the leadership skills and characteristics that define The First Tee Scholars,” Baker said to The Pilot. “The First Tee Scholars are a very small group of outstanding young people who embrace the ideals of sports and academics. Hannah is very deserving of this prestigious honor.”
White said she was excited to apply for The First Tee Scholars and competed her paperwork in October, the conclusion of the season. In addition to being the local chapter’s third recipient, White is the first from Richmond County to garner the honor.
“I’ve known about the program for several years, I always knew I was going to apply as a senior,” White said. “He (Baker) really encouraged me to apply.”
— Sports editor Shawn Stinson can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 14, or by email at sstinson@heartlandpublications.com
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