Farthing Receives Deep Gap Ruritan Scholarship By Sherrie Norris Deep Gap Ruritan President Steve Idol is pleased to present the annual Ruritan Dollar- For- Dollar Scholarship to recent WHS graduate Brad Farthing. Photo by Sherrie Norris Recent WHS graduate Brad Farthing was the 2005 recipient of a $600 scholarship given each year to a deserving college-bound student by the Deep Gap Ruritan Club. Brad received his award Saturday night, June 11, during the club’s annual steak dinner fund-raiser at Watauga High School, presented by President Steve Idol before a crowd of nearly 300 people. The scholarship derives from the Ruritan National Foundation’s “Double Your Dollar Grant Program,” an innovative program that allows the local club to select a worthy individual from their community to receive the grant. The son of Shaun and Cindy Farthing, of Boone, Brad plans to attend University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill in the fall, in pursuit of a bachelors or masters degree in business or economics. Prior to entering Watauga High School, Brad was a student at Parkway Elementary School in Deep Gap. During his high school years, his extracurricular school activities included involvement in the following: Tennis Team, National Honor Society, Key Club, D.R.E.A.M. Team, Beta Club, FFA, Chemistry Club, Sergeant At Arms. His community activities include: Boy Scouts, Troop 100 of Deep Gap; Member of Rutherwood Baptist Church, Volunteer for Deep Gap Ruritan Club, Volunteer for Ashe County 4-H Club Ropes Course, Member of the Order of the Arrow, Volunteer for Adopt-A-Highway Program, His achievements include: Junior Marshall, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, and Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts, Conference Champion Tennis Team, Scholarship Letter and Lamps of Knowledge Recipient and Honor Roll, during his four years of high school. For the last two years, he has worked as a filing clerk at Boone Drugs at Deerfield. Brad’s personal interests include meteorology, economics, tennis and camping. Brad tells us as an encouragement to others, “You need to keep smiling because you never know when a simple smile might make someone’s day a little bit better and sometimes you can even fool yourself into a better mood.” Members of the Deep GapRuritan Club extend their congratulations to Brad, and wish him much success in his future endeavors. They are also appreciative of his help through the years in helping with trash pick-ups, fundraisers and other projects in the community.