JEFF WILLIAMS IS THE LATEST SENIOR AT CODY HIGH SCHOOL TO RECEIVE THE PRESTIGIOUS STARR SCHOLARSHIP. THE STARR AWARD IS AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM OPEN TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WHO RESIDE IN THE STATE OF WYOMING AND THE UPPER PENINSULA OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. WILLIAMS TALKS ABOUT RECEIVING THE AWARD.
“IT’S A BLESSING. I’M VERY GRATEFUL AND GLAD TO HAVE GOTTEN THIS. THEY CALLED ME IN FEBRUARY LIKE ‘HEY YOU GOT IT. WE’RE GOING TO EMAIL YOU AND KEEP IN TOUCH, HELP YOU THROUGH HOUSING AND EVERYTHING. KEEP IN CONTACT. THEY GOT OFF THE PHONE AND I JUMPED UP, I WAS IN MY BEDROOM. I JUMP UP AND I SCREAM. I’M LIKE “YES!” MY PARENTS ARE IN THE KITCHEN ‘WHAT?’ ‘I GOT IT!’ IT WAS SOMETHING I WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT AND I’M STILL SUPER EXCITED TO GO TO MICHIGAN STATE.”
THE LATEST CODY BRONC FOOTBALL PLAYER TO EARN THE SCHOLARSHIP WAS DAN BEAUDRIE AND WILLIAMS SHARES WHAT WENT INTO HIM APPLYING FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP.
“IT CAME UP MY SENIOR YEAR AND I WAS LIKE SURE, WHY NOT APPLY? IT’S FREE TO WRITE THE ESSAYS. YOU CAN GET A TON FROM IT. THE MORE TIME I SPENT LOOKING AT MICHIGAN STATE AND GOING THROUGH THE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION PROCESS, I REALLY STARTED TO ENJOY THE IDEA OF GOING TO MICHIGAN STATE. AND JUST THINKING ABOUT IT, I KIND OF FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CAMPUS LOOKING AT IT ONLINE AND YEA IT CAME UP SENIOR YEAR AND WE’RE LIKE SURE WHY NOT? AND THEN IT HAPPENED.”
STARR SCHOLARS MUST DEMONSTRATE ACADEMIC INTEREST AND ACHIEVEMENT BY ATTAINING A GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF 3.0 OR HIGHER. ADDITIONALLY, THE SCHOLARS MUST DEMONSTRATE DISTINGUISHED PERSONAL CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP ABILITY. IT’S A GRUELING APPLICATION PROCESS, THAT WILLIAMS WAS ABLE TO ACE AND GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS.
“YOU HAD TO WRITE FOUR ESSAYS. SO YOU WRITE THOSE FOUR ESSAYS. AND THEN THE HEAD OF THE STARR COMMITTEE PICK OUT THE KIDS THEY WANT TO INTERVIEW. SO OUT OF THE HUNDREDS OF KIDS THAT APPLY, I THINK THIS YEAR 20 KIDS FROM WYOMING GOT AN INTERVIEW. THEN ONCE YOU GO AND INTERVIEW WITH THEM, IT’S LIKE AN HOUR LONG INTERVIEW. YOU’VE GOT TO SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THE ESSAYS, TALK ABOUT YOUR BELIEFS AND WHO YOU ARE, YOUR EXPERIENCES. THEN THEY SELECT THE ACTUAL STARR SCHOLARS OUT OF THE INTERVIEWS.
WILLIAMS HAS BEEN A FIXTURE FOR CODY ATHLETICS FOR FOUR YEARS. HE’S A LEADER BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD. LIKE MANY OTHER STUDENT ATHLETES HE WAS DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THE SPRING SPORTS SEASON CANCELED. IN WHAT WAS A DOUBLE WHAMMY NOT ONLY WERE SPRING SPORTS CANCELED BUT THE SHRINE BOWL WAS CANCELED AS WELL. THE SHRINE BOWL WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS FINAL HOORAH ON THE GRIDIRON.
“IT WAS KIND OF EXPECTED BUT IT STILL HURT. I MEAN IT WAS CANCELED I THINK THE SAME DAY OR A DAY AFTER SHRINE BOWL WAS CANCELED SO I WAS ALREADY PRETTY DOWN. IT HURT. I MEAN I EXPECTED IT BUT IT DIDN’T MAKE IT HURT ANY LESS AND I WAS JUST DISAPPOINTED CAUSE I FELT LIKE I HAD A SHOT TO DO REALLY WELL THIS YEAR. THE SHRINE BOWL WAS A BIG ONE THAT I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO. THAT WAS GONNA BE, REALLY, THE MAIN EVENT OF THE SUMMER/SPRING FOR ME.
NOW THAT TIME HAS PASSED HE REFLECTS ON HIS TIME AS A BRONC ATHLETE.
“I’VE BEEN VERY, VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF CODY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS AND ITS JUST BEEN A BLESSING. THE MORE THAT I LOOK AT IT THE MORE I REALIZE HOW LUCKY I WAS TO HAVE THE COACHES I HAD, TEAMMATES I HAD, TO HAVE THE FACILITIES WE HAVE. ITS BEEN VERY EASY RECENTLY TO SEE HOW BLESSED AND LUCKY I’VE BEEN TO BE AN ATHLETE AT CODY HIGH SCHOOL. REALLY, I HAVE NOTHING BUT LOVE IN MY HEART FOR THIS TOWN AND THE SPORTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.”
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