For the 32nd time a high school senior who excels academically and has a passion for the game of golf on some level has received a scholarship towards their college expenses. The Don Holliday Memorial Foundation made one local high school student very happy recently, awarding a check for $30,000 at Roanoke Country Club.
This year’s winner was Cassidy Chambers, a senior from Staunton River High School who will attend Western Carolina University this fall. Chambers indeed has a passion and the skill for the sport; she was 1st team all-region and all Blue Ridge in golf. Chambers also made it to the Girls State Championship and was a member of the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame All-Metro team. She will play on the golf team at Western Carolina.
“My dad introduced me to the game, and from there I just fell in love with it,” said Chambers, “and I wanted to continue playing.” She said her goal upon entering high school was to make it to the state championship and as a senior she did just that: “I realized that when you set goals you can achieve them.” She will pursue physical therapy in college and already has plans to go after a Master’s in four years. Her Staunton River Golden Eagles team made it as far as the regionals in her senior year.
Chambers is no slouch in the classroom, also a prerequisite for being nominated for the Don Holliday Memorial Scholarship. She was 13th in her graduating class at Staunton River, sporting a 4.03 GPA. She was also involved with community service (another factor in picking the scholarship winner); donating her time and efforts to the Roanoke Rescue Mission, Help Save the Next Girl and Straight Street, among other organizations.
The Don Holliday Memorial Foundation and the fundraising golf tournament held every June are named in memory of the late Don Holliday, who worked for Piedmont Airlines and was an avid golfer. The Foundation has awarded over $400,000, and it’s now a 4-year $30,000 scholarship administered by the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame.
Cassidy Chambers called her scholarship “life changing. It’s an honor to win.” Scholarship winners don’t necessarily have to play golf competitively or plan to play in college, but must have a passion for the game on some level.
Gene Marrano