ROCKINGHAM — Thomas “Rad” Kennedy, son of Thomas and Joy Kennedy of Rockingham, North Carolina, was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving partner of Perdue Farms.
Kennedy received one of 15 scholarships given this year to children of Perdue associates and independent contract farmers. Winners were selected based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and community involvement. The $75,000 scholarship program is part of the company’s Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors outreach focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities.
Kennedy will major in public affairs/business at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He graduated from Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham with a weighted 4.5 GPA.
He was vice president of his school’s Student Government/Senate and FFA, was co-captain of the school’s Quiz Bowl, an officer of the National Honor Society at Richmond High, and a member of the yearbook staff and Beta Club.
Kennedy doesn’t have a specific career goal but plans “to further enrich myself into the world of public policy by studying it in college and participating in internships and employment.”
He credits his family for “everything I have accomplished thus far in my life,” adding: “My hope is that in 10 years, I can be a part of support systems that better the lives of others but also keep a focus on the support system that got me where I am today — family.”
