By FULLER ROYAL

Despite a story to the contrary in last Thursday’s issue of The News Reporter, a Whiteville High School student is indeed the recipient of a W. Roger Soles Carolina Scholar Award from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

After a two-year absence, the Soles Scholarship, worth $7,500 annually for four years, was awarded to WHS Class of ‘06 graduate Michael Houser.

“It is definitely exciting and it’s going to be a big help,” said the 18-year-old son of Tommie and Kay Houser. “And it will be a challenge.”

Houser said he would have to maintain a 3.0 GPA to keep the scholarship.

“I never thought I would receive a scholarship this big,” he said. Houser applied to and was accepted by not only UNC-Chapel Hill, but also Appalachian State University and North Carolina State University.

He had been offered an academic scholarship from Appalachian.

“I certainly never thought of a scholarship like this from UNC,” he said.

Houser is unsure of what he’ll major in. He said he has a couple of years to think about it and he’s looking forward to investigating all of his options.

“Most people change their minds a couple of times when they get there,” he said.

Houser said he enjoyed the friendships he made at WHS during his four years there. He said those bonds grew stronger as the last days of school approached and he and his friends would all be going in different directions this fall.

He said his favorite class had been Advanced Placement Biology, taught by Tom Ferguson.

“He has a great teaching style,” Houser said. “He makes biology very interesting and I have always been into science.”

Houser also enjoyed mathematics with Sunil “Mr. Tan” Taneja and physics with Kelly Gann.

He played trumpet in the concert and marching bands his first three years at WHS and was a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Club and the Explorer’s Club.

Houser said he’s looking forward to the Carolina experience. “I want to broaden my horizons, meet new people and gain a new perspective on things,” he said.

Houser is the grandson of the later Thomas Edison and Mildred Holmes Houser and Joy Wendell and Gradie Carroll Formyduval.

The Soles Scholarship was established in honor of the late Soles by his children, William R. Soles Jr. and Janette Soles in 2001. The first recipient was WHS graduate Manish Dayal in 2002 and WHS graduate Hunter Diefes in 2003.

WHS did not have a recipient in 2004 and 2005. The 2004 recipient was from Wayne County. The 2005 recipient was from Kinston.

The News Reporter had received no notification of Houser’s award from UNC-Chapel Hill or WHS.