On behalf of the Board of
Directors and the Scholarship
Committee of the WCA, we want to
thank everyone who submitted a
scholarship application and/or
essay for the 2011 scholarship
competition. If you were a
winner, we offer our
congratulations and your checks
will be sent directly to the
financial aid offices and will
be made out to the school. If
you did not win, thank you for
your submission and we invite
you to enter again next year if
you are still in school.
Here is the listing of this
year’s winners:
Essay
Question:
“If
you were in charge for one day,
what would you do or what would
you change that would make
America a better place to live
and raise a family?"
Kay
Cee Butcher
UNC Chapel Hill, Major: English/Spanish, Senior
Daughter of Scott Butcher, Lesco Restorations
$1000 Essay Winner
During my three years at UNC, I have dedicated myself to investing a
great deal of time in the education system with aspirations to become a
teacher. Through these experiences, I have seen flaws in both the system
and with the people involved in it. However, I have also seen true
beauty in the passion of a few special educators and the results of
their dedication reflected in the students who have been on the
receiving end of that zeal.
What sets these teachers apart from the rest is their investment in our
future; they get it. They understand that the only way to make a huge
change in the world is to make a huge change in the life of one child.
It has been said countless times that our children are our future and I
could not agree with this statement more. That is why, given the chance
for a day, I would change America’s education system and thusly, change
America.
In these tough economic times, education is all too often the first on
the list of budget cuts. While this may offer a short-term solution to
other pressing issues, decreasing funds for education only creates a
vicious cycle of neglect and failure for our students. It is frustrating
and heartbreaking that thousands of students “slip through the cracks”
daily when they possess the ability to succeed but just need extra
atention to realize their potential. Often times, teachers are the ones
to recognize this and to offer the extra needed support. When fewer
teachers and counselors are present in the school because of said budget
cuts, there are fewer individuals in the support system that can be
vital to a student’s academic, emotional and psychological success.
Therefore, I would put a stop to all budget cuts in the education system
and ensure that funding in schools was sufficient and used properly to
accelerate the educational process.
While every generation offers their own addition to our nation and
ultimately, our world, sometimes those additions are different than for
what one would hope. It is up to this generation to steer the next
generation in the right direction. It is important that all children
realize how valuable and precious they are and that they receive every
opportunity possible to be educated. Children truly create the world in
which we live as they provide what is to come next. Because of this, I
fully believe that the only way to change our country is to educate our
children.
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Leah Perkins
Wingate University, Major:
Elementary Education, Freshman
Daughter of Dwight Perkins,
Lesco Restorations
$1000 Essay Winner
There are several things I would
like to do if I was given the
opportunity to be in charge for
a day, although these ideas
would take more time to
implement. To begin, I would
follow the principles and moral
values of the original
constitution. Putting God back
into our nation and schools
would be beneficial. The
philosophical idea of a person’s
responsibility being to help
others gave motivation to people
to do good deeds, which bettered
the country as a whole. The
entitlement attitude of this
country should retreat back into
the original work ethic. I would
not give anything to undeserving
people. There should at least be
some sort of effort by one to
better his own life before
asking for assistance. If one
tries and fails then would be
the time for someone to help him
or her. I would also rely more
on our own country to
manufacture our goods and
acquire our oil for the United
States. This would allow for
more jobs, decreasing the
unemployment rate, and would
also help our national debt. It
would be imperative that we
return our country from billions
of debt into a hardworking
country, independent of other
countries. Another thing I would
do while in charge, would be to
secure teaching positions and
benefits. Teaching is a very
important field and has a large
impact on the future of our
nation. Keeping the teachers in
the schools would better the
education of the students and
help prepare them for the
future. While in charge, I would
also improve our healthcare
program for our elderly. I would
ensure that they have quality
care provided until the end of
their life. Our children would
need a secure start to build a
secure future for this country.
Our country now has become
totally different from when
America was founded. Our
grandparents and great
grandparents understood the need
for unity and trust; today this
is unheard of. Therefore in one
day I would begin to restructure
our policies to make them more
like they were in the past.
Seven $300
Scholarship Winners
Danyelle
Herring, Wake Tech - daughter of
Peggy Herring, Associated
Scaffolding
Spenser Slough, College of
William & Mary – son of David
Slough, CETCO
Lindsey Harrell, East Carolina
University - daughter of Greg
and Pam Harrell, Harrell's
Waterproofing
Emily Poleon, University of
Georgia – daughter of Ron Poleon,
Lymtal
Mark West, Lander University –
son of Randy West, Watertight
Systems
Jake Burton, Appalachian State
University – son of Clint
Burton, Carolina Specialties
Laura J. Holland, UNC-Charlotte
- daughter of Wade Holland,
Strickland Waterproofing
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