Brady Boone and Anna Jones are the 2023 recipients of a Foothills Striders’ Scholarship. The awards are given each year to two Blount County students, who have distinguished themselves academically as well as physically by participating in sport activities, such as biking, hiking and/or running. Both Brady and Anna will receive a $2,000 scholarship from the Foothills Striders in the fall to assist with their upcoming college expenses.
Brady is a graduate of Maryville High School, and the son of Brian and Christy Boone. He plans to attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to pursue a degree in computer engineering. Anna is a graduate of William Blount High School, and the daughter of Brock and Kelli Jones. She will attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to study nursing. She has been admitted to the Chancellor’s Honors Program.
Brady indicated that he has been involved in track and cross country since the sixth grade. He stated that he enjoys “getting outside every day and running with friends and teammates.” According to one of his references, Brady finished “his senior year as the fastest track distance athlete in the county.” Over the years, he has been the recipient of multiple personal and team awards. In addition to running, he enjoys riding his bike and hiking. He rides on the Greenways in Alcoa, Maryville and Townsend. Another reference stated that Brady and several other students hiked 40 miles in the Smoky Mountains in 14 hours. Brady’s ultimate hiking goal is to complete the Appalachian Trail. While in school, he was a member of Mu Alpha Theta, a national high school math honor society. His community activities include being the audio/visual technician at his church and working the Daktronics media board during basketball games. His future plans include pursing his interests in Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Anna is on the school’s Varsity Track and Field team. She competed in the 100 and 300 meter hurdles, the triple jump and the 4×100 meter relay. Plus, she is on the Varsity Cheer. During the COVID quarantine, she continued to run on the road near her house. She wrote “track has taught me the importance of persistence even through difficult circumstances.” A coach stated that in addition to being on the track team, “she was also involved in many other activities throughout the school including a rigorous course schedule, cheer leading and HOSA” (Health Occupations Students of America). One of her experiences working is teaching basic gymnastics skills to children 18 months to 5 years old. In addition, she helps with the Sunday morning birthday parties before going to church. Her goal is to become a registered nurse. She has won a number of awards in CPR and First Aid. After graduation, she plans to work a couple of years, then return back to school to pursue a doctorate and become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
The Scholarship Committee is very impressed by the quality of candidates of the application packages received in 2023. Including this years’ recipients, the Foothills Striders will have awarded $100,900 since 1987. The club’s website is located at http://www.foothillstriders.org/.