HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION AWARDS 11 SCHOLARSHIPS TO AREA SENIORS

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC (March 18, 2025) – Eleven outstanding Beaufort County seniors have been named Heritage Classic Foundation scholars for the 2024-2025 school year. The students come from five different high schools.

Seniors in all Beaufort and Jasper County high schools were eligible to apply and applications were reviewed on the basis of academic success, community service, essays written by the student and financial need. Fourteen finalists were interviewed by the Scholar Committee.

During Tuesday’s awards presentation, Heritage Classic Foundation Scholar Committee Chairman, Scott Richardson told the audience, “This is always an exciting day for the Heritage Classic Foundation. We believe the resumes of these young adults are better than ever. The teachers and administrators of our school systems, as well as the award winners, deserve special praise.” Richardson also pointed out, “You are not just straight A students. You are leaders in your schools, communities and churches. Your interests vary from volunteerism to sports to caring for the environment.”

Six of the newly named Scholars will receive a $16,000 scholarship over the next four years. Four additional awards carry a $20,000 opportunity. Two of the latter scholarships honor Scholar Committee chairmen who have passed, John Zimmerman and Mike Malanick. One honors the late Scholar Committee member Charlie Brown, and the Tartan Club Award recognizes the donations made by the Tartan Club. Created by the Heritage Classic Foundation, the Tartan Club is a group made up of individuals throughout the community who share a desire to help others through the awarding of scholar grants for area students.

The Kirby Scholarship, a one-year $4,000 scholar award, was created in memoriam of past Scholar Committee chairman Ward Kirby and is granted every year.

Next fall, a total of 41 Beaufort and Jasper County collegians will be attending school and will have received Foundation grants at an expenditure of $193,000. A grand total of $5.6M will have been awarded to 397 students after the 2025 distribution.

In addition to these eleven scholarships, the Foundation is funding four $2,500 annual scholarships to the University of South Carolina Beaufort and two $1,500 annual scholarships to the Technical College of the Lowcountry.

It was also announced at Tuesday’s luncheon that two large donations were granted to the newly created Heritage Classic Foundation Scholarship Endowment Fund. The RBC Foundation donated $25,000 to the fund and the Sea Pines Resort Community Fund donated proceeds totaling $25,000 from their inaugural Charity Golf Tournament held March 2^nd. The endowment fund was created to strengthen the future of the Heritage Scholar Program. Learn more at heritageclassicfoundation.com/heritage-endowment.

The following graduating seniors were selected:

Battery Creek High School​ - Emma Hamilton
Bluffton High School - Genesis Hernandez Cabrera​, Ava Elizabeth Rios, Vivian Zurakowski
Hilton Head Island Christian Academy - Christopher Nguyen
Hilton Head Island High School - Bryce Broome, Calvin Clayton, Mia Diamond, Emeli Perez, Mia Ruxton
May River High School​ - James Holloman

ABOUT THE HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION — CHAMPIONING CHARITIES. LIFTING LIVES.

At the heart of the Heritage Classic Foundation is a history of philanthropic giving that goes far beyond golf. Since 1987, we’ve raised and donated $56.9 million to educational and charitable initiatives that lift lives in South Carolina. And we’re still going strong. Every year, our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization hosts a world-class PGA TOUR event as a primary fundraising effort. For more information, call 843-671-2448, visit heritageclassicfoundation.com, or find us on Facebook (Heritage Classic Foundation) and Twitter (@HCFGolf).

ABOUT THE 2025 SCHOLARS

Bryce Broome earned all-state honors on Hilton Head High’s track team and is team captain of the cross-country team. He has been studying Chinese since first grade and is the vice president of the Chinese Honor Society at his school. In his senior year, the IB Diploma candidate organized a 5k fundraiser to benefit Deep Well. He has a pressure washing business he runs on weekends and is a member of Young Life. Ward Kirby Award​

Calvin Clayton is the captain of Hilton Head High’s baseball team and leads the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club. He is vice president of the school’s National Honor Society and a member of the Chinese Honor Society. He is a DECA state qualifier and has volunteered with Volunteers in Medicine for the past two summers. He is also active in his church and has a part-time job at Hilton Head Outfitters. John Zimmerman Award​

Mia Diamond holds down two part-time jobs in addition to being active in many organizations at Hilton Head High. She is a member of the Interact Club and the Dance Honor Society for her commitment to the Dance Team. She volunteers at The Deep Well Project and headed up a car wash to raise funds for St. Jude’s Research Hospital, earning her a St. Jude NextGen Experience award.

Emma Hamilton has competed on the tennis and wrestling teams at Battery Creek High and has participated in monthly Campus Clean-ups with the Interact Club. She has had a part-time job throughout high school and has a passion for sports medicine, working for the school athletic trainer and plans to pursue a career in the field.

Genesis Hernandez Cabrera is student body president at Bluffton High School and is also Past President of the Interact Club. She is a member of Youth in Government and was one of 20 delegates chosen to represent SC at the Conference on National Affairs. Serving as South Carolina’s only Youth Advocate, she spoke with U.S. senators and representatives about childcare in rural communities. She is an advocate for the Hispanic community. Tartan Award​

James Holloman created a Spanish Club at May River High School, is vice president of the Beta Club and was selected to be Beaufort County School District’s US President Scholar Candidate. His volunteerism earned him the National Community Service Merit Award. He also plays lacrosse and plays the guitar. He plans to pursue a degree in electrical engineering and then join the Air Force.

Christopher Nguyen is a member of the Hilton Head Island Christian Academy golf team, helping them win a state championship in 2024. He shares that love of golf by volunteering at the First Tee. He created a debate club during his junior year, manages the robotics team and writes for the school newspaper. He is a part-time bike mechanic and plays alto saxophone in his school’s jazz band. He hopes to have a career where he can help make clean drinking water more accessible in rural areas. Mike Malanick Award​

Emeli Perez is an IB Diploma Candidate at Hilton Head Island High School. She serves as the vice president of the National Honor Society and is the secretary of the Science Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. Her interest in finance led her to participate in the state DECA competition where she placed second. She tutors elementary school students struggling in math and English and helps kids at the Neighborhood Outreach Center with homework after school.

Ava Elizabeth Rios earned first place honors representing Bluffton High at the Lower State Academic World Quest Competition. She has competed on the school’s soccer team since eighth grade and is a volunteer coach for a Rec Center youth team. She cares about the environment by being a Turtle Tracker and is Youth Chair of the Hilton Head Audubon. As president of Mu Alpha Theta, she leads SAT/ACT Test Prep Sessions for fellow students. Charlie Brown Award​

Mia Ruxton is an IB Diploma Candidate at Hilton Head High and was a member of the tennis team and is the girls lacrosse team manager. In her junior year, she interned with the Boys & Girls Club, teaching children about the outdoors through fun games. She has had a part-time job since freshman year and plans to study marketing in college.

Vivian Zurakowski is a member of the jazz and marching bands at Bluffton High School, playing the piano in jazz band and captaining the percussionists. As a member of the band, she has marched in several parades. She was in the Hilton Head Bluffton Chamber’s Junior Leadership class her junior year and has rung the bell for the Salvation Army holiday drive. She will pursue a degree in STEM.