WS Chronicle

The Winston Lake Senior Golf Association (WLSGA) has quietly been helping the African-American youth of Forsyth County for nearly two decades.  A week ago they handed out nine $1,000 scholarships to students heading into their freshman year of college.

The scholarship recipients and the colleges they will be attending are: Markie Lamont McRae (UNC-Chapel Hill), Briston Whitt (Elon University), Devontae Maliq Taishon Harrison (Winston-Salem State University or WSSU), T’ona Elizabeth McBride (North Carolina Central University), Joseph Alexander Peterkin-McMillan (North Carolina A&T State University or NCA&TSU), Kimani Malik Carter (Morehouse College), Kianna Nazje Jackson (WSSU), Aysia D’Shea Greer-Parms (NCA&TSU), Justyn Jahvon Hardin (East Carolina University).

The scholarships are funded by the Blaylock Family Foundation in honor of their father, James E. Blaylock, who was an avid golfer at Winston Lake golf course and a member of the Winston Lake Golf Association.

After James E. Blaylock passed away, the Blaylock Family Foundation and the Winston Lake Senior Golf Association decided to collaborate to give scholarships to worthy young men and women each year to help with college tuition.

“The reason we do this is because my father was a part of the Winston Lake Golf Association and when he passed they decided to name the scholarship in honor of our father,” said LaVern Blaylock, James E. Blaylock’s daughter.  “We decided to add the scholarship foundation to give back to the community and help kids going into college.”

The kids are selected by a panel of members from the WLSGA.  The students are required have at least a 3.0 grade point average, along with a list of after-school activities they are involved with.  The panel then selects the winners of the scholarship. All of the recipients this year had a GPA over 3.2.

Von Roberts, president of the WLSGA, says the association can’t take credit for anything.  He praised the Blaylock family for their continued support of the scholarships.  He says since he has been president, the Blaylock family has donated $50,000 in scholarships.

The recipients of the scholarships were very appreciative of the Blaylock’s and the WLSGA for their scholarships. Joseph Peterkin-McMillan said tuition is very expensive, so this helped bring him closer to his tuition needs.

“This is a big benefit for me because I was a little bit short and this has gotten me closer to my goal,” said Peterkin-McMillan.  “I am very grateful and happy that I was selected for this scholarship and I support it.”

Peterkin-McMillan says he was all smiles when he found out he was one of the lucky recipients.  He says he chose NCA&TSU because he has aspirations of becoming an engineer.  He says once he visited the school, it felt like a family environment, which cemented his decision.

LaVern Blaylock stated that since her family has been blessed, it was only right for them to bless others with these scholarships.  She says another reason they chose to give out scholarships is because education is very important to her family.