The 2024 recipients of the Edmonds Tennis & Education Foundation scholarships were honored at a weekend ceremony.
Seven recent high school graduates join the previous recipients, bringing the total to 43 the number of young people to benefit from the ETEF scholarship since the nonprofit was established in 2018.
The ETEF is for young people between the ages of 5 and 18 who want to learn about tennis or who want to really get serious about honing their tennis skills..
But Dr. Jerry Edmonds also sees the program as a network of people to call on for guidance and support.
This year’s winners include:
- Seaniya Rodgers
- Kenan Roberts
- Laila Ruffin
- Jamir Parham
- Amari Blair
- Zion Mosley
- Anaya Brame
Dr. Ervin Griffin, Sr., president emeritus of Halifax Community College, was the keynote speaker. Griffin offered words of encouragement to the scholarship recipients.
“We believe in you and your ability and willingness to embrace change and not fear the future,” Griffin said. “Whatever you do with your life, don’t quit,” he said.
As part of the 21st century workforce, Griffin said today’s young people must be like entrepreneurs, which means having to be open to change and innovation. Don’t let others with the “we’ve never done it that way before” attitude create barriers to progress.
Past ETEF scholarship winner Emma Hicks returned to the “clubhouse” – the term Dr. Jerry Edmonds, the ETEF staff and participants use to refer to the tennis center ETEF calls home – to offer her encouragement to the new recipients.
Hicks just completed her first year at UNC-Wilmington and said it was “the happiest and hardest year of my life.” She told the soon-to-be-college freshmen to “just get in there, put yourself out there,” when they arrive on campus. Also, find a studying technique that works for you and to make sure to find a good study/have fun balance.
For Edmonds, Saturday’s program offered a chance to recognize the students for their accomplishments and to send them off on the right foot to keep doing good things for themselves and their community.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Edmonds said. “We really enjoy doing this for the students.” Each student will get a $500 scholarship and a built-in mentor who will be available to the students during their first year of college – and beyond.
“It really is about those mentorship positions,” he said. “It’s always nice to have folks say you can go further.”
For Edmonds, that person is Griffin, the banquet’s keynote speaker.
“He’s the reason I pursued my doctorate degree…to this day, he pushes me to do more and move forward.”
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