Blake Chitwood’s mom told him they were going to Roanoke Country Club Wednesday morning to be with all the finalists for the Don Holliday Memorial scholarship announcement.
Pretty cleaver, mom.
Chitwood was named the 28th high school student from Southwest Virginia to receive the Don Holliday Memorial Scholarship, and the nifty $ 20,000 check that goes to the winner.
“I was hoping to just get one of the $ 1,000 awards,” Chitwood said with a smile. “This is unbelievable.”
Chitwood, a senior at Northside High School and 4-year member of the Viking golf team, has a 3.52 GPA and will attend Roanoke College in the fall. He currently works at Hunting Hills Country Club and also volunteers at the Virginia Veterans Medical Center.
“I wanted to go Roanoke College,” Chitwood said of the pricey private school in Salem. “This eases the burden off my family. Now, I’m positive I can go.”
“Going to a local college, there’s no adjustment as opposed to going out of town,” Chitwood added. “It’s close, the campus is pretty and it’s a small school. I’ll be a name, not a number.”
Chitwood hopes to pursue a degree in business or accounting and would like to become a financial advisor. He says he has no plans to play golf at the college level.
“Roanoke is a hard school academically. I’ve talked to others who played college sports. I want to focus on school.”
Blake will receive the $ 20,000 over 4 years to continue his education.
The Holliday is the largest golf-related scholarship in Southwest Virginia, considered to be the granddaddy of them all.
The Don Holliday Memorial Foundation was formed in 1986 to honor the memory of Don Holliday, district sales manager of Piedmont Airlines. Since 1987, the foundation has given out over $ 300,000 in scholarship money to deserving high school students.
“There’s no requirement to be a standout in golf, or continue one’s career in golf,” Holliday board member Justin Ditmore noted Wednesday. “The driving forces are need and character.”
Bill Turner
