Local student surprised with scholarship to Bethel University

MEDINA, Tenn. — After a two day competition held by Bethel University, a winner was selected for the Hendrix Scholarship. It was started by the grandson of a former Bethel president.

“W.W. Hendrix was the president of Bethel University, or Bethel College then,” said Bethel University President Dr. Walker Butler. “About a century ago and his grandson, years and years later, really in the 1980s, decided he wanted to do something to honor his grandfather’s legacy at Bethel University. And so he set up an endowment where each year we’re allowed to, through the funds from the endowment, we’re allowed to give one scholarship, a complete tuition room and board scholarship.”

The competition consisted of three different phases that lasted throughout the weekend. Afterwards, the judges met over all of the material to eventually choose a winner.

“So we got there, and we got to meet the other students,” said scholarship winner Trevor Scott. “Then we got to go take an academic test. It has several parts, but it wasn’t a terrible test. And then we did an essay portion where we had an hour to write an essay. And then Saturday morning we did interviews, and we were interviewed by a panel of people that worked at the school.”

Scott says he is very grateful to be selected and shares some of the great things that happened during the competition weekend.

“Other than the actual part of the testing and the actual competing, we got to play games with some of the other students that are at Bethel, and then the other competitors of course,” Scott said. “And we got to experience some of the clubs and stuff that they have. I mean, getting to meet the other students and join in with their games and their clubs and getting to know what I’m going to be doing on campus.”

Scott, currently a student at South Gibson High School, was not aware that he had won the scholarship until he was called out of class Thursday morning and greeted by Bethel’s president.

A full tuition scholarship is also given to another individual from this endowment.

For more local news, click here.