The Boy Scouts of America Occoneechee Council awarded four scholarships totaling $80,000
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Boy Scouts of America Occoneechee Council and John William Pope Foundation have announced the 2017 Pope Eagle Scout Scholars. The annual program recognizes four scouts who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and personal achievement in their academic and scouting lives. Each Pope Scholar receives a $20,000 college scholarship.
The 2017 Pope Eagle Scout Scholars are: Holden James Bigford of Fayetteville (graduate of Northwood Temple Academy), William Samuel Godwin of Dunn (graduate of South Johnston High School), Warren Stewart Whitley of Raleigh (graduate of Raleigh Charter High School), and Miles T. Wiley of Raleigh (graduate of Rolesville High School). Over 50 scouts applied for the scholarship, and a committee of five community leaders interviewed finalists and selected recipients.
The late John William Pope, a Raleigh businessman and philanthropist, established the Pope Eagle Scout Scholarship Program in 2001 to support the studies and development of future free enterprise leaders. The program has continued with an annual $40,000 matching grant from his family foundation. The Occoneechee Council is the largest Boy Scouts Council in North Carolina and serves an average of 20,000 scouts annually. The Occoneechee Council encompasses scouting programs in Chatham, Cumberland, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Lee, Moore, Orange, Vance, Wake, and Warren counties.