The REALTOR® Good Works Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Williamson County Association of REALTORS® (WCAR), recently announced that a total of $26,500 has been awarded to five Williamson County public high school students, and an additional $6,500 has been awarded to three returning college students. Through the years since the establishment of the REALTOR® Good Works Foundation, over $200,000 has been awarded to local community students in the form of scholarships.
A total of sixty-six entries were received from high school seniors, which were reviewed by members of the 2023 Scholarship Committee. Students were required to submit a completed application and two recommendation letters, along with their transcript.
The number of applicants was further narrowed to those that the committee wished to move to the second phase, which involved a personal interview with the committee members. Following the interviews, the final recipients were selected and notified. Each of the recipients received a $4,000 scholarship, paid directly to their college of choice. In addition, a total of thirteen returning college students submitted applications. One was selected for a $2,500 scholarship. Additionally, two returning students were selected to each receive a $2,000 scholarship from donations to the Jeff Woodford Memorial Scholarship fund. A celebration dinner was recently held at Granite City for the recipients and their parents.
The winning high school recipients were, in alphabetical order:
Miles Brown, a recent graduate of Brentwood High School, is the son of Marvin and Candace Brown.In addition to his involvement and leadership in the Student Government Association, the Black Student Association, and the National Honor Society in high school, he has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts of America, is an accomplished pianist, and is involved at his church-Lake Providence Missionary Baptist Church. He understands the importance of giving back to his community and is interested in pursuing the field of Psychology. He will be attending Boston University this coming fall.
Will Bruns, the son of Nate and Brittany Bruns, recently graduated from Franklin High School.He will be attending Samford University this fall. Living in Germany for several years and having traveled extensively in Europe, he participated in basketball and football, is fluent in both German and Spanish, and is very involved in the long-time missionary work of his parents and of being in service to others. He has plans to major in general business with a minor in worship leadership, and to also pursue his dream of becoming a pilot.
Sloan Hoesel, a recent graduate of Brentwood High School, is the son of Mark and Gayle Hoesel.Sloan
Sloan plans to major in Biomedical Sciences with the desire to become an Emergency Medicine physician.During his high school years, Sloan was active in many clubs and organizations, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honor Society, Brentwood Youth Leadership, and more and was very active in his church, Grace Community Church. Sloan will be attending the University of Tennessee this fall.
Seely Redding is the daughter of Sutton Redding. She recently graduated from Ravenwood High School and will be going to Clemson University this fall. She plans to major in neuroscience and then pursue a career in the medical field, being particularly interested in neurology and psychiatry. In high school she was involved in Student Council and multiple clubs, and continually looks for ways to help improve the lives of others.
James Caleb Workman, the son of Eric and Amy Workman, just graduated from Centennial High School.
During high school, Caleb played football and was Team Captain. He was a member of the National Honor Society, and volunteered through a number of activities through Clearview Baptist Church, Graceworks, and other community initiatives. Caleb will be attending the University of Mississippi this fall, majoring in Mechanical Engineering.
The following three students were already enrolled in college and received a returning student scholarship.
Sydnee Floyd, is a former graduate of Ravenwood High School. She is currently enrolled at Belmont University, majoring in Biology with a double minor in Chemistry and Public Health. Her career aspiration is to be a surgeon. She stated that her passion for the sciences continues to increase as she pursues her education and career.
Grace Simmons, a former graduate of Centennial High School, is currently enrolled in Baylor University. She is pursuing a double major of entrepreneurship and professional sales, with a minor in religion. She envisions working with start-up companies on the entrepreneurship side, or perhaps filling a corporate role in a sales position, or even pursuing a full-time vocational ministry.
Katherine Bohn, a former graduate of Franklin High School, is attending Saint Louis University.She is double majoring in Medical Science and Forensics Science, with the goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon in the future. She is currently interning with the Saint Louis City Medical Examiner’s Office this summer and looks forward to participating in forensic research next semester.
According to Kyle Shults, REALTOR® and chairperson of the RGWF Scholarship Committee, “We were amazed at the accomplishments and involvement shown by our scholarship recipients. We are excited that we can make an impact on their higher education journey and hopefully ease some of their financial concerns. As REALTORS®, we strive to make a difference in our community. Granting these scholarships will touch the lives of many.”
