View Past Recipients
2025 Scholarship Awardees
BILLY AND MARGIE SCHRIVNER SCHOLARSHIP
Zach Creasy
of Jackson
Christian School is the recipient of the Billy and Margie Schrivner
Scholarship. He played baseball four years and basketball two seasons for the
Eagles. A 6-foot-1, 200-pound third baseman, Creasy batted .366 as a junior and
had a .537 slugging percentage, .517 on-base percentage and 11 stolen bases. He
batted .321 his sophomore season with a .531 SLG and .431 OBP. He was
all-district and all-region both seasons and a TBCA Region 7/8 team selection.
He has a 4.47 grade point average and scored 28 on the ACT. He plans to play
baseball at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.
JIMMY CAREY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Bryant Barnes
of
University School of Jackson is the recipient of the Jimmy Carey Memorial
Scholarship. He played football four years for the Bruins and was a 5-foot-8,
180-pound wide receiver and linebacker before knee injuries sidelined him. He
ran track two years. "Due to Bryant's rehab work ethic, it earned him
respect from both his teammates and coaches throughout his career," said
USJ teacher and physical therapist Christie Golden. Bryant has a 4.43 grade
point average and scored a 25 on the ACT. He plans to attend the University of
Tennessee at Knoxville.
MORGAN KELLEY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
Jacob Niven
of Trinity
Christian Academy is the recipient of the Morgan Kelley Foundation Scholarship.
He played golf for the Lions. He won two regular-season district matches as a
junior and helped the team win the region and advance to state in 2022. He has
a 3.76 grade point average and has been a student assistant basketball coach at
Union University for his father, head coach David Niven, throughout high
school. He is considering being a student assistant coach at Lipscomb
University the next four years and eventually wants to be a head college
basketball coach.
MORGAN LEAH McCARTY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Corben
Howard
of
University School of Jackson is the recipient of the Morgan Leah McCarty
Memorial Scholarship. At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, he played football and baseball
four years for the Bruins and basketball two years. He was USJ's quarterback
the last two seasons and football team captain as a senior. He passed for 1,501
yards and 12 touchdowns last season and 1,550 yards and 11 TDs as a junior. He
plays pitcher, second base and outfield on the baseball team and was
all-district last season. He was a starting guard on the basketball team. He
has a 3.7 grade point average and plans to attend the University of
Mississippi.
R. BRADLEY HANCOCK AWARD
Kathryn Hooper
of Jackson
Christian School is the recipient of the R. Bradley Hancock Award. She played
tennis and soccer for the Lady Eagles. In 2023 she was the Jackson Muse Cup
tennis singles runner-up and the Rhodes Cup runner-up and placed first in the
TMTA Junior Championship. She was a fifth seed in the regionals in 2022. She
helped her soccer team win the Gatlinburg Soccer Tournament championship in
2021 and 2022. Hooper has a 4.41 grade point average and scored a 23 on the
ACT. She plans to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
RICHARD ROSS SCHOLARSHIP
Houston Freeman
of South
Side High School is the recipient of the Richard Ross Scholarship. At 6-foot,
280 pounds, he was the starting center on the Hawks' football team three years
and earned All-Region 6-4A first-team honors. He received the Iron Hawk Award
given to a senior who plays football four years and maintains a 4.0 GPA.
Freeman ranks sixth in a class of 215 and scored 23 on the ACT. Voted Most
Likely to Succeed by his peers, he is a member of Student Council and the
National Honor Society. He was a Commissioner's Cup representative for JMCSS
Media Day Honor Society. He is graduating with 21 hours of college credit. He
plans to enter the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee
at Knoxville.
SPORTS ORTHOPEDICS & SPINE ATHLETE AWARD
Ellen Driver
of
University School of Jackson is the recipient of a Sports Orthopedics &
Spine Athlete Award. She played basketball and competed in track and field all
four years at USJ and played soccer last season. A 5-foot-8 guard, she was
all-state tournament when the Lady Bruins won the Division 2-A state basketball
championship last season. She was team captain, all-region tournament and
all-district the last two years. She was all-region the last three track
seasons and placed fourth in the triple jump at state in 2022 and sixth in
2024. She has a 4.77 grade point average and scored a 33 on the ACT. Voted Miss
USJ and homecoming queen this year, she is undecided on her college choice.
SPORTS ORTHOPEDICS & SPINE ATHLETE AWARD
Clark Burkhead
of South
Side High School is the recipient of a Sports Orthopedics & Spine Athlete
Award. He played tennis for the Hawks and was the only boy on the team his
freshman year when he qualified for the district tournament. A 5-foot-7 senior,
he played singles and doubles last season and competed in doubles in the
district tournament. Burkhead has played tennis since 6th grade at West Bemis.
He participates in several clubs and organizations at school and is active in
the youth group at Parkburg Baptist Church. He has a 3.96 grade point average
and scored 21 on the ACT. He ranks 13th in a class of 215. He plans to attend
Union University.
SPORTS ORTHOPEDICS & SPINE SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD
Max Kilburn
of University
School of Jackson is the recipient of the Sports Orthopedics & Spine
Scholar Athlete Award. He has a weighted 5.01 grade point average and posted a
35 superscore and 34 composite score on the ACT. A 5-foot-8, 175-pound
shortstop, he has started four years on the Bruins' baseball team. The past two
seasons he made the DII-A all-district and all-region teams and the TBCA Region
7/8 Showcase team. Last season he batted .357 with 14 RBI and 5 doubles. His
sophomore year he batted .385 with 19 RBI and 7 doubles while making the TN
Baseball Report Super Sophomore Team. He has signed to play baseball at The
University of the South in Sewanee, TN.
TERRY MOORE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
AJ Currie
of North Side
High School is the recipient of the Terry Moore Memorial Scholarship. A
6-foot-1 shooting guard, he averaged 12 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 3
steals per game for the Indians' basketball team. He played basketball four
seasons and was all-district two years, co-captain as a junior and team captain
as a senior. He was all-academic with a 3.7 grade point average and scored a 24
on the ACT. He ranks 12th in a class of 216. Currie is undecided on his college
choice.
VAN AND LOUISE THOMPSON SCHOLARSHIP
Mary Kinsley Nye
of
Madison Academic Magnet High School is the recipient of the Van and Louise
Thompson Scholarship. She played soccer and basketball and competed in track
and field all four years for the Lady Mustangs. In soccer, she was the TSWA
all-state Class A team four years and a TACA all-star last season. She was
all-region tournament MVP twice and the team's Defensive Player of the Year
twice. She was all-district twice in girls basketball and ran on the 200-meter
relay team that won the state in 2022 and was runner-up in 2024. She has a 3.75
grade point average and ranks 26th in a class of 106. She has received soccer
and academic scholarships from Tennessee Tech University.
WILL PEVAHOUSE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Brynlee Merriweather
of
South Side High School is the recipient of the Will Pevahouse Memorial
Scholarship. She played soccer and basketball, ran track and was a cheerleader
during her high school career. She was a 5-foot-7 forward on the soccer team
and made all-district and all-tournament teams. But she could not play her
senior season after being critically injured in a car wreck the night before
the first day of school. Her sister, Aaliyah, and Aaliyah's boyfriend were
killed in the accident. After recovering from brain trauma and broken bones,
Brynlee was able to attend soccer and basketball games to cheer for the Lady
Hawks. She has a 3.7 grade point average and plans to attend Austin Peay State
University.