Wilkes Community College congratulates the 2018-2019 Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship recipients.

Makenna Shumate, a graduate of North Wilkes High School, is currently enrolled in the Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses (RIBN) program. Shumate is dually enrolled at Lenoir-Rhyne University and Wilkes Community College to seamlessly earn her associates at WCC and finish her baccalaureate nursing education at Lenoir-Rhyne. While attending school, she works at 18N Café and volunteers with the Traphill Fire Department. Her hobbies include hunting and fishing.

 

Hannah Canter, a graduate of North Wilkes High School, is currently enrolled in the Associate in Arts transfer program. Canter is a freshman at WCC and plans to transfer to Appalachian State University to pursue her bachelor’s in social work. While attending school, she works at Blue Ridge Pharmacy. She enjoys mission work at her church.

 

Cheyenne Winters, a graduate of North Wilkes High School, is a freshman at WCC and is enrolled in the Medical Assisting program. Her career plans are to go into nursing or physical therapy. While attending school, Cheyenne works at Lowes Companies. During her senior year in high school she had the privilege to work with special needs children and helped them learn an instrument through United Sound, Inc. (a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide musical performance experiences for students with special needs through peer mentorship).

 

Benjamin Barker was homeschooled in Wilkes County. He will graduate in the spring 2019 with a Business Administration degree. He plans to either complete his Associate in Arts to transfer to Berkeley or take classes online. Barker currently teaches piano and plays several musical instruments, including the dulcimer and the harp.  He recently released a new album, “Nothing but the Blood,” solo hymns on the hammered dulcimer.

 

The Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship was established in 1993 by Trisha L. Austin Stanley. To date, the scholarship has helped 93 students with a total of $39,100 awarded in scholarship money. Funds for the scholarship are raised through the annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest held at MerleFest.

For more information on scholarships or donating to the WCC Foundation, contact the WCC Foundation at 336-838-6491.