Georgia GCSA Names Scholarship Recipients

Tommy Hewitt, scholarship committeee chairman announced that 12 students received the 2019 Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association (Georgia GCSA) Legacy Scholarship. The scholarship offers educational aid to children and grandchildren of Georgia GCSA members. The awards are funded by the Georgia GCSA and sponsored by Jerry Pate Company.

Walt Morris, stepson of Tim Busek, The Manor Golf & Country Club; Spen Oliver, son of Spencer Oliver, Dunwoody Country Club; and Ashely Wilder, daughter of Gary Wilder, ClubCorp; were the top three scholars this year. Spen Oliver, a graduating high school senior will attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in the fall majoring in Agricultural Education. Walt Morris will be in his second year at Mississippi State majoring in Aerospace Engineering/Astronautics. Ashely Wilder is a rising junior at the University of Georgia majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences.

Hewitt, from Windemere Golf Club in Cumming, led scholarship interviews with help from Jamie Pate of Jerry Pate Company, Joey Brown from Georgia National Golf Club in McDonough, Joe Hollis from Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta and Chuck Underwood, CGCS from Northwood Country Club in Lawrenceville. Brad Tremmier from RiverPines in Alpahretta also assisted with the interviews.

Applications were reviewed independently by the Georgia GCSA scholarship committee. Criteria for selection included: academic achievement, extracurricular and community involvement, leadership and outside employment. Students were also required to submit an essay stating how traits they acquired from their Georgia GCSA member relative help them prepare for their next chapter in life.

One or more of the applicant’s parents or grandparents must have been a Georgia GCSA member for five or more consecutive years and must be a currently active Georgia GCSA member in one of the following classifications: A, B, C, Retired A, Retired B or AA Life. Students must be enrolled full-time at an accredited institution for the next academic year.

This year’s recipients were:

Jacob Busek, son of Tim Busek, The Manor Golf & Country Club
Amber Cavender, daughter of David Cavender, Cobblestone Park Golf Course
Bailey Cavender, daughter of David Cavender, Cobblestone Park Golf Course
Lukas Freeman, son of Doug Freeman, Indian Hills Country Club
Kayla Hendricks, daughter of Michael Hendricks, Nob North Golf Course
Samuel Hunt, son of Bill Hunt, Athens Country Club
Hannah Kepple, daughter of Ralph Kepple, CGCS, East Lake Golf Club
Megan McCord, granddaughter of Ron Sinnock, Retired
Walt Morris, stepson of Tim Busek, The Manor Golf & Country Club
Spen Oliver, son of Spencer Oliver, Dunwoody Country Club
Ashley Wilder, daughter of Gary Wilder, ClubCorp
Jackson Thebeau, son of Tom Thebeau, Lane Creek Golf Club