CHOCOWINITY — A local high school student was recently awarded a merit scholarship for her intent on pursuing a career in natural resource conservation and related fields.

Billie Jalynne Waters, a Southside High School senior, was awarded a $1,000 merit scholarship for the 2015-2016 school year where she will attend N.C. State University and major in agronomy. The Careers-In-Conservation (CIC) scholarship was recently granted by the N.C. Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation, Inc. located in Raleigh. The scholarship is given statewide with a purpose to increase the number of college graduates from a North Carolina institution, who are qualified for careers in natural resource conservation and other closely related fields that align with the mission of the local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, according to a Beaufort County SWCD press release. The Foundation has a high respect for the need for viable and stable communities, healthy natural environments and bright futures for rising generations of leaders.

Waters said she chose to go into agronomy, a branch of agriculture that deals with plant genetics, hybridization and crossbreeding of plants, after attending the 51^st annual Resource Conservation Workshop at N.C. State University last summer. A total of 87 high school students were selected by the district from across the state to participate.

“That’s what sparked my interest,” Waters said. “Plus, I’ve lived on a farm all my life. I never really realized you could do so much with agriculture until that program.”

Waters grew up on a farm in Chocowinity, she said. She is the daughter of Karen and Keith Waters, who is a local farmer and owns Waters Produce on Gray Road in Chocowinity. Her grandfather was also a farmer, Waters said.

Waters said she applied for the scholarship one day while in the Beaufort County Soil and Conservation District offices with her dad. Becky McRoy, director of BCSWCD, Anne Williams and Rod Gurganus, county extension director, told Waters about the scholarship and she applied, she said.

“They actually handed me the scholarship and the deadline was approaching and they said, ‘You should try this.’ They are really who I owe thank to because without them, I would have never even known about (the scholarship).”

McRoy said she was happy to see that Waters was awarded the scholarship after getting to know her and after her representing Beaufort County in the Resource Conservation Workshop at N.C. State last summer.

“She’s a smart young lady,” McRoy said. “She’s just an outstanding student, who is very deserving of this honor. I was really pleased she got it. I’m just delighted to know she’s a young lady interested in agriculture. You don’t find many young girls, who are that interested in that, and she’s very interested. I feel like she will come back to Beaufort County and continue to be an asset to the county.”

Waters said she has not yet decided upon her concentration under the agronomy umbrella, but is considering the possibility of double majoring in agronomy and agribusiness, or at the least, minoring in agribusiness.

“I’m still really exploring my options,” Waters said. “There are a lot of different ways I could go. If at all possible, I’m really interested in plant breeding and genetic mutation. I’m really appreciative of this scholarship, and I’m also appreciative of Mrs. Tina Petty and Thomas Jefferson, my dad’s chemical salesman, who wrote recommendations for me (for this scholarship). There are a lot of people who have helped me along the way. I’m going to take it and use it wisely.”