Contributed
A Pinecrest High School student has been named the recipient of the 11th annual Seven Lakes Family Dentistry Scholarship.
Senior Kate Grantham will receive a $1,500 college scholarship. Two other recipients will each be awarded $1,000 scholarships. These students are Jack Hage, also from Pinecrest, and Ethan Kim, from The O’Neal School.
Grantham, daughter of Dr. David and Angie Grantham, of Pinehurst, is ranked first in her class at Pinecrest. She has played competitive golf for seven years and was a member of Pinecrest’s four-time state championship women’s golf team, where she was All- Conference all four years.
She is a member of the National Honor Society and has volunteered at the Weymouth Center, Moore Humane Society, Pinehurst Surgical physical therapy and Girls Golf of Whispering Pines.
Grantham plans to continue her education at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where she will be on the women’s golf team, and plans to double major in exercise science and psychology. She wants to pursue a career in physical therapy.
Grantham’s outstanding character was evident in her letters of reference. As one of her references summarized, “Kate is composed and fiercely competitive, yet consistently gracious and respectful with a generous spirit.”
Jack Hage, son of Rev. John and Anna Hage, of Pinehurst, is ranked in the top 1 percent of his class at Pinecrest, where he is an AP Scholar with Distinction.
Hage was captain of the varsity men’s tennis team and vice president of the National Honor Society. He is an active member of the Brownson Presbyterian Youth Group, where he volunteered with the Appalachian Service Project.
Hage plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and major in political science. One of his teachers noted, “He possesses the rare combination of academic talent, genuine intellectual curiosity, and grounded maturity that distinguish him as one of the most promising students I have taught in my career.”
Ethan Kim, son of Gina Kim, of Pinehurst, is graduating from The O’Neal School, where he is an AP Scholar with Distinction and two-time recipient of the Head of School Award. He is co-captain and MVP of the varsity tennis team, and coaches tennis lessons at Lawn & Tennis Club. Kim participated in the Summer French Immersion and Cultural Exchange Program, and is a member of the National Honor Society, Cum Laude Society, Model UN and the Science Olympiad.
As a community service, Kim created the National Hospital Book Drive Initiative. He has been accepted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Case Western, and he plans to major in biomedical engineering.
Kim was described by a teacher as “always polite, respectful, grateful and kind, while also being one of the most hard-working, self-reliant, driven students I have ever taught in my 35- plus years teaching.”
The Seven Lakes Family Dentistry scholarships are open to any senior at any high school in Moore County. With 34 applications received this spring, the Independent Scholarship Committee had an exceedingly difficult decision. Applicants were evaluated on the basis of academic performance, moral character, letters of recommendation, community involvement and a personal statement.
Dr. Jennifer S. Massey, owner of Seven Lakes Family Dentistry, sponsors this scholarship as a way to give back to the Moore County community.
“I remember how important the scholarships were that I received,” she said. “They allowed me the opportunity to complete my undergraduate education debt free. I am honored to be part of assisting other students in fulfilling their college and career aspirations. We were excited to have such a great response again in this, our 11th year.”
