The 21st-annual Boy Scouts of America Scholarship Banquet recently awarded $27,000 in college scholarships to 54 high school seniors from across eastern North Carolina.

Michael Hesbach, with the East Carolina Council of Boy Scouts of America, said the annual scholarship banquet was held at Edgecombe Community College last month.

“The scholarships can be used in two or four-year programs,” Hesbach said. “At the banquet, an additional $27,000 was donated to the East Carolina Council, Boy Scouts of America, to provide support for over 1,100 youth in the Exploring, Boy Scout educational programs and Learning for Life programs.”

Hesbach said the programs provide in-school character education and career education essentials.

Hesbach said funds for the scholarships were raised through an annual golf tournament held at Ironwood Country Club in Greenville and from corporate sponsors such as Adtran, Alcatel-Lucent, Calix, CenturyLink, Ericsson, Fujitsu and Better Cable Systems.

The tournament chairmen were CenturyLink’s general manger, Kevin McCarter, and planning manager, Bobby Whitley. Hesbach served as scholarship chairman and staff advisor for the tournament.

Hesbach said 87 high schools, public and private, in the 20-county territory of the East Carolina Council were permitted to select a recipient by March 18. Fifty-seven high schools submitted student resumes for consideration. Students had to attend the banquet to receive their scholarships.

Hesbach said scholarships were awarded at three levels based on academic achievement and leadership shown by each student in school and in the student’s community. Forty-eight students received $450, five students received $800 and one student received $1,300.

The largest scholarship went to Austin Bath, a J.H. Rose High School senior. Bath, an Eagle Scout, ranked 18th in his class with a GPA of 4.9643. His accomplishments include serving as class president, student body president, a member of the football team and a volunteer at the hospital.

Bath’s GPA was fifth highest of the 57 nominations. He plans to attend N.C. State University on a full scholarship, with aspirations of being an orthopedic surgeon.

For more information about this event or Scouting, contact Hesbach at mhesbach@bsamail.org.