The Oak Ridge Lions Club has awarded scholarships to four Oak Ridge High School graduates in the Class of 2025.
Jordan Asberry, Brady Fuson, Sarah Pollack, and Sydney Shults each received $500 for tuition, books, and/or fees.
The scholarships were awarded at a dinner with Lions Club members.
“The Lions Club received 220 applications from ORHS students for scholarships,” Scholarship Committee chair Bob Smallridge said. “The scholarship committee reduced them to 20 semifinalists from which the four finalists were interviewed and selected.”
“There are so many talented graduates at the high school,” Smallridge added. “These four were deemed as exceptional by the committee.”
Asberry plans to study nursing at Roane State Community College, and possibly a four-year university in the future. Health and nursing piqued his interest. He plans to earn a Registered Nurse degree and was a nursing student at ORHS, earning a CNA. He chose nursing because he likes helping people.
Fuson plans to major in medical research science at the University of Cincinnati. He enjoyed AP biology and AP chemistry classes at ORHS. He was involved in Student Council and tennis. His major requires an undergraduate degree in biology or pre-med. Fuson chose this career because he wants to help the medical field evolve into something even better than it is.
Pollack is majoring in exercise science at Auburn University. She plans to become a pediatric occupational therapist. At ORHS, she was part of the Dance Cats, in the National Honor Society, Senior Steering, and Student Council. Pollack loves helping people and wants patients to be safe and welcome.
Shults plans to major in occupational therapy at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Her favorite subjects were photography and English. While at ORHS, she was named to the National Honors Society. She plans to become a pediatric occupational therapist because she admires those who teach young children, with or without disabilities.
Others on the scholarship selection committee are Lions Jesse Cavasoz, George Smith, Bill Truex, and Ron Wilson.
The Oak Ridge Lions Club meets via Zoom at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month. The club meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month at Shoney’s, with a Zoom option available.
Patti Cates is an Oak Ridge Lions Club member and publicist.
