Catch the Spirit of Appalachia Awards Scholarships

On March 20 at their annual Scholarship Fundraising Dinner, the board of Catch the Spirit of Appalachia awarded three scholarships to three deserving applicants. In the presence of over 100 attendees in the fellowship hall of Cullowhee Baptist Church on the campus of WCU, the following awards were presented. 

The Annie Lee Bryson Memorial Scholarship was presented to Blake Joh-David Ward of Whittier, NC, by Annie Lee’s daughters, Norma Clayton, Carolyn Wiggins, and Anna Allen.  A very active young man at Smoky Mountain High, Blake is a member of the show choir at Smoky Mountain High, a member of student council, FCA, Crossfit Swerve, and varsity football, wrestling, track and field. Besides all those activities, he helps work with kids at Riverside Cove youth camp, helps his family on the farm raising cattle and with the family garden. He is proud of the fact that his family has lived in these mountains for nearly 200 years! He wants to major in biology or business at WCU, then attend dental school to become an oral surgeon. GPA 3.5. 

Connor Luckey-Smith receives award

The Mary Jane Queen Memorial Scholarship was presented to Connor Luckey-Smith, from Clyde, ND, by Dot Conner, the eldest daughter of Mary Jane. Connor is enrolled at Four Oaks Academy, plus dually enrolled in the Jackson County Early College and Haywood Early College. Connor, in his words, states he has been strongly influenced by the rich traditions of Appalachian culture, mostly because of the Haywood County JAM program. He began playing at an early age, and has been exposed to many great and gifted musicians with whom he has come in contact. He and his brother, along with the band Productive Paranoia, play at area nursing homes, benefits, fundraisers, senior luncheons, and more. Connor’s goal is to have a career in music.GPA: 4.0. 

The Elmer and Irene Hooper Memorial Scholarship was presented to Grace Ella Morris, from Cullowhee, NC by Irene Hooper. Grace goes to Smoky Mountain High and Jackson County Early College. Her community service is truly outstanding. An avid fiddle player, Grace spent countless hours performing with the Community Appalachian Music group, playing “Old Time Music” at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. She has been going on mission trips since 2012, spending time with senior adults in the community, and is a current member of the Jackson County Bible club. She came up through JAM in Haywood County, volunteered with the Jackson County Junior Appalachian Musicians and is now a teacher with the organization. She wants to be a teacher and share her love for Appalachian culture. GPA 3.9044. She is a member of the National Honors Society, and is on the President’s List at SCC. Entertainment was provided by the teachers of the JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) program of Jackson County. 

Catch the Spirit of Appalachia’s scholarship program is supported, in part, from the Catch the Spirit of Appalachia Endowment, a component fund of the North Carolina Community Foundations, and the efforts of a 20-member board of directors from within the local community.