This year’s graduating class at White House High School is celebrating not only the end of an important chapter, but also the beginning of a promising new journey for several standout students.

The Crossroads Scholarship, now in its third year, has once again honored seniors who embody hard work, community involvement, and the drive to pursue higher education—despite financial hurdles. This year, six scholarships of $5,000 each were awarded to deserving seniors. The 2025 recipients of the Crossroads Scholarship are: Kaely Campos-Martinez, Peyton Fahnholz, Cameron Morris, Georgia Read, Zoe Ricciardi, and Hannah Sheppard. (Pictured on the cover photo with Assistant Principle Kyle Gilliland and Mitchell Baker, and Principle Ann Miller.)

The scholarship, founded by WHHS alum Wayne Starks and his family, is named for Johnson’s Crossroads—a familiar landmark with deep roots in the White House community. Wayne’s parents, Odell and Esterlene Starks, built the original store and service station at the crossroads of Highways 76 and 25 in 1954. Their legacy lives on not just in bricks and beams, but in the lives of local students encouraged to dream bigger and go further.

“With this scholarship, we want to give back to the place that gave us our start,” Wayne says. “It’s about investing in the next generation—just like Ma and Pa invested in their community.”

Scholarship applicants must be graduating seniors of White House High School, maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least one extracurricular activity, and demonstrate financial need. Award decisions are made by the next generation of the Starks family, who hope to grow awareness of the opportunity in future years.

As Shane Starks puts it, “We want students to know: you don’t have to have it all figured out. Just take the next step.”

Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the Crossroads Scholarship! Your story is just beginning—and your community is cheering you on at every turn.