Case Farms awards scholarships
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on June 24, 2018 3:05 AM
Submitted photo
Tim Singleton, vice president and general manager of Case Farms Goldsboro division, left, with Wayne County student recipients of $3,500 college scholarships, from left, Edwin Ruiz, Ashleigh Hickman and Anthony Bishop.
Case Farms has awarded more than $30,000 in scholarships to nine children of company employees, three of which have Wayne County ties.
The financial aid was made possible through the Leroy Cook Memorial Scholarship Program, which recognizes academic excellence and achievement at school and in the community.
Established in 2005 by Case Farms' founder Thomas Shelton, the program is named for long-time Case Farms employee Leroy Cook, a former senior vice president of operations. To date, more than $100,000 in college scholarships have been awarded to children of employees.
"We had an overwhelming response to this year's scholarship program," said Kevin Phillips, president and chief operating officer at Case Farms. "The independent selection committee was impressed with the outstanding quality and talent possessed by these students so the company decided to increase the number of scholarships awarded.
"We are proud to award these students with scholarships and congratulate them on their academic success and public service efforts."
The three recipients with employees at Case Farms in Goldsboro each received a $3,500 award to the college or university of their choice.
Anthony Bishop, son of Tony Bishop, attended the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics for high school. He will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall, majoring in chemistry and minoring in computer science.
Ashleigh Hickman, whose father Allen Hickman is employed by Case Farms, is a graduate of Spring Creek High School. She will be attending Meredith College and to pursue studies in social work.
Edwin Ruiz, son of Hellin Smarth, of Southern Wayne High School, will be attending East Carolina University and majoring in industrial technology.
Founded in 1986, Case Farms is a fully integrated poultry farming and processing group which produces poultry products. With more than 3,200 employees, it has operations in North Carolina and Ohio.