The Mark Douglas Parris Scholarship Fund has been established with the Haywood County Schools Foundation, Inc., to honor Mark Parris’s contributions to the Haywood County community as a teacher and coach at Waynesville Junior High School from 1975-1982. The fund was established in 2012 by Mark’s family and will be administered by the Haywood County Schools Foundation, Inc. This scholarship is available to Tuscola High School seniors who will attend Western Carolina University to pursue a four-year undergraduate degree.

Mark Parris was a Waynesville native who lived in Haywood County for his entire life. After serving as a Social Studies teacher and Football and Basketball coach at Waynesville Junior High School from 1975-1982, he began a career in the pharmaceutical industry that lasted 30 years. Growing up, Mark excelled as a varsity athlete in football, basketball and track at Tuscola High School, and was the starting quarterback for the football team. He was also an accomplished student with limited financial resources, and after graduating Mark was able to attend Western Carolina University upon receiving the Horatio A. and Adah G. Helder Scholarship. The scholarship fund established in Mark’s name is given in loving memory of his accomplishments as a teacher, coach, husband and father.

Scholarship amount based on available funds.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

– Haywood County Resident
– Graduating Senior from Tuscola High School
– Will matriculate full-time at Western Carolina University to pursue a four-year undergraduate degree
– Exhibits Financial Need
– Participation and Leadership in Extracurricular Activities
– Scholastic Achievement

SELECTION PROCESS AND AWARD
The Scholarship Committee shall establish the process for selecting recipients of the Mark Douglas Parris Memorial Scholarship. The committee is composed of Mark’s immediate family and close friends, and includes professional teachers, scholars, and public servants from Haywood County. A personal interview with selected members of the committee may be required. One award will be given each year in the amount of $500. The Haywood County Schools Foundation, Inc., a tax-exempt charitable foundation will administer the Mark Douglas Parris Memorial Scholarship Fund.

In addition to the general application, students are asked to write a personal statement (300-500 words in length) that explains why they should receive the scholarship. Students are encouraged not only to discuss their accomplishments in academics and extracurricular activities at Tuscola, but also to describe any significant challenges or adversity they may have faced in their lives.