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You could feel the tension in the room on Feb. 15 as 19 students gathered with their families for the Diana Springer Scholarship drawing.

Established through the will of F. David Springer, the scholarship requires a drawing to determine the winner of tuition and fees to UNC-Chapel Hill for four years. Davie students accepted in the early acceptance round at UNC were eligible for the drawing, no other criteria exist.

In one of its most competitive years ever, 21 Davie County students were in early acceptance – more than ever before.

Thanks to the scholarship endowment managed by the Davie Community Foundation and earnings from investments made by Trustee Diane Foster, four Diana Springer Scholarships were awarded this year.

The first name drawn was Carter Helton, followed by Lauren O’Connor, Lucas Shoffner, and Holly Ashley. Two alternates were also drawn in case the winners chose not to accept the award. Abigail Wilson is the first alternate and Sarah Lawson is the second alternate.

“Although only four students were drawn to receive the Diana Springer Scholarship, all 21 should be very proud of their accomplishment in early acceptance into UNC-Chapel Hill,” said Jane Simpson, foundation president. Students were encouraged to apply through the Davie Community Foundation Scholarship Program which awards scholarships to deserving Davie students. The application can be found at daviefoundation.org.