Freddie Steven “Trey” White III of Hickory is the latest recipient of the Catawba County Christian Business and Professional Scholarship and is attending Western Carolina University as a freshman for the 2009-10 school year.
White, the son of Steve and Marsha White, is a 2009 graduate of Hickory High School. He plans to major in business administration and law.
The Catawba County Christian Business and Professional Scholarship Fund is designed to help the university attract some of the best and brightest students from Catawba County, said Phil Walker, BB&T’s senior vice president for corporate banking in the western region, and chairman of the Western Carolina University Foundation.
Walker and wife Joan spearheaded the effort by a group of Hickory-area alumni and friends of WCU to establish the fund in 2005.
“I consider Trey White to be an excellent example as a person of high character with an excellent academic record while participating in extracurricular activities in high school,” said Walker.
A 1971 graduate of WCU, Walker said he made the initial contribution to the fund and convinced other alumni and friends from Catawba County to donate because he wanted to give something back to his alma mater.
Since its founding, the fund has been providing scholarship support of up to $2,500 toward students’ cost of tuition. Awards are presented to entering freshmen on the basis of high academic achievement and moral character.
Preference is given to applicants from Hickory and Saint Stephens high schools. The number and amount of awards may increase as the fund grows through additional contributions, earnings and appreciation.