CVCC student Martin named recipient of William Cooper Setzer and Bruce A. Blackburn scholarship
Catawba Valley Community College student Jackson Martin has been named the recipient of the William Cooper Setzer and Bruce A. Blackburn Scholarships. Both scholarships were established through and are administered by the CVCC Foundation, Inc.
Martin, a first-year student from Conover, is majoring in Communication Science Disorders at CVCC and plans to transfer to Appalachian State to major in Speech Communication or Speech Science Communication Disorders.
Martin’s inspiration for his career path in Speech Communication came from his childhood struggles.
“I was in a speech class from kindergarten through fifth grade, and I had this really amazing teacher. I think she really sparked an interest in me to go into speech communication,” Martin said.“It really didn’t hit until high school, but with my experience in speech classes and her inspiring me to help kids who struggle with speech like me — it made me really want to go into that path of study.”
“I like working with children because I want to make a difference in their life,” he added. “If some child has a problem like I did in elementary school, I want to be there to change their life and change that speech communication difficulty just like someone did for me.”
With his career decided, Martin applied to CVCC, and with the help of his high school guidance counselor, Martin discovered both the William Cooper Setzer and Bruce A. Blackburn Scholarships.
“Every scholarship I applied for it was nerve racking,” Martin said. “I was waiting to see if they accepted me or not. I was feeling very confident because the essay that I wrote was one of my best. I put a lot of my heart and soul into it.”
Martin was beyond thrilled when he found out he’d received both the William Cooper Setzer and Bruce A. Blackburn Scholarships.
“The scholarships have helped me not only academically, but financially as well,” Martin said. “I would very much like to thank both the Setzer family and Shuford Credit Union for looking at everything that I submitted and choosing me over many people and changing my life by giving me the money to keep pursuing my education not only
at CVCC, but at Appalachian or wherever I transfer to.”
The William Cooper Setzer Scholarship was established by Sylvia and Bill Solari in honor of Setzer’s 90th birthday.
A Catawba County native and graduate from Claremont Central High School (now Hickory High School), Setzer served in the United States Navy as a radar technician during World War II, worked at Setz-Right Hosiery Mill for most of his life and was a dedicated member of First United Methodist Church.
The recipient of the William Cooper Setzer Scholarship must possess the potential for a successful two-year college career, a commitment to academic excellence and commitment to working in their community.
To be eligible for the Shuford Credit Union Bruce A. Blackburn Scholarship, students must possess the potential for a successful college career, exhibit a desire for academic excellence in their chosen field and exhibit academic achievement and financial need. The recipient must also have a grade-point-average of at least 2.75 at the end of his or her first semester in college to continue receiving the scholarship.
The scholarship honors Blackburn’s service as chairman of the Shuford Credit Union board of directors and his passion for investing in education. The Shuford Federal Credit Union was formed in 1967 as a nonprofit financial co-operative owned by its members and offers a full range of financial products and services.
“The CVCC Foundation is grateful to the Setzer family and The Shuford Credit Union for the opportunity to administer these scholarships to assist students in achieving their academic and career goals,” said Jennifer Jones, CVCC Foundation Executive Director. “We are honored by the privilege of helping to carry forward Mr. Setzer’s legacy through the William Cooper Setzer Scholarship and grateful for the opportunity to partner with The Shuford Credit Union to honor Mr. Blackburn’s dedication to investing in education. Jackson’s passion for helping young students who struggle in some of the same ways he has is both honorable and inspiring. He is well-deserving of receiving each of these scholarships.”
For more information, contact Jennifer Jones at 828-327-7000 ext. 4288 or email jjones555@cvcc.edu.