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Hunter scholarship winners honored

Scholarship winners Zack Henderson and Christopher Greene, front row, are joined by Henderson County Education Foundation director Don Jones, Randy Hunter, EHHS principal Matt Gruebmeyer, NHHS principal Frank Edney, HHS principal Bobby Wilkins, WHHS princ

By Miranda McFalls, Published: June 11, 2013

Hunter Automotive Group scholarship recipients were announced Tuesday.

The winners were Christopher Greene, Zack Henderson, Anna Huntley, Georgianna Souther and Rachel Shoemaker. A total of $9,000 was given to aid the students in their college endeavors.

Two students, Greene and Henderson, were present at the meet-and-greet at Hunter Nissan.

This is the third year that the Hunter auto dealerships have given scholarships to the five local high schools. To win the scholarship, students must have excelled academically and displayed outstanding leadership, moral character and citizenship.

Tom Hunter, president of Hunter Automotive Group, and Randy Hunter, chairman of the board, each expressed the importance of helping students.

"The only way to grow the community is to give back to the young people," Randy Hunter said. "What better way than to further their education?"

Zack Henderson, who graduated from East Henderson High School on Friday night, won $2,000 and plans to go to Western Carolina University to earn a degree in electrical engineering.

The scholarship "definitely let me know that what I've worked hard to try to accomplish has been recognized now," Henderson said. "It gave me quite a lot of hope for next year."

Christopher Greene, a recent graduate of Balfour Education Center, won $1,000 and will attend the Nashville Auto Diesel College in the fall.

"Coming from a poor background scholarships do help out a lot," Greene said. "I do have a $1,000 tool set I have to buy from my own pocket, so I'm very thankful to Hunter Nissan for providing that $1,000."

Angela Greene, Christopher's mother, thanked Hunter family members for what they've given her son. She also thanked the faculty at Balfour, who she said had changed her son's way of thinking.

"I never thought I'd be here, in this position," Angela said. "It's just amazing to me how much one year can change an individuals thinking. He went from someone I figured would drop out to someone ready to go to college."

Anna Huntley, who graduated from Hendersonville High School and Rachel Shoemaker, a West Henderson High graduate, will attend UNC Wilmington. Georgianna Souther graduated from North Henderson High and will attend UNC Asheville. Each received $2,000.

The scholarships were awarded through the Henderson County Education Foundation.