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CONWAY – The Conway Community Scholarship Committee announces the awarding of the Dr. Joseph A. Fleetwood, Jr. Scholarships for the 2025-26 school year.

The committee honors four local students who are pursuing careers in a medical-related field. Scholarships are awarded to Robert Blake Birdsong of Conway, Sarah Kate Ricks of Seaboard, Sydney Olivia Jones of Seaboard, and William Henry Hatchett Morris of Jackson.

Birdsong, a 2020 graduate of Ridgecroft, is attending East Carolina University and pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy.

Ricks, a 2023 graduate of Northeast Academy, attends UNC-Wilmington with the goal of becoming a clinical social worker.

Jones is attending North Carolina State University pursuing a degree in Nutrition Science with plans for further education in pharmacy or dentistry.

Morris will be attending North Carolina State University in the fall.

The Town of Conway and its citizens established this scholarship in 1999 as a tribute to Dr. Fleetwood for his dedicated service to the community. It is awarded annually to students who plan to pursue a college degree in a field related to medicine or health and who may return to serve Northampton County and its citizens.

Scholarships have been given for over 20 years and past recipients include a pediatrician, nurses, pharmacists, a physical therapist, a dentist and many others in fields related to health.

The citizens of Conway and its surrounding areas are pleased to continue this scholarship on behalf of their “Dr. Joe” who served his patients tirelessly from 1950-1999.

Dr. Fleetwood was a graduate of Conway High School, Wake Forest University, and the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond and served in the U.S. Navy and as a member of the Naval Reserve from 1948-1978. He was the son of the late Dr. and Mrs. J.A. Fleetwood, Sr.

The Conway Community Scholarship Committee continues to raise funds to increase the endowment and is grateful for the continued support in fund raising from the Conway Ruritan Club. Tax-deductible contributions to the fund are welcome and can be made at any time.

For additional information on the scholarship, contact the North Carolina Community Foundation office at 1-888-375-8114.