Erskine’s top scholarship winners announced
Two Presidential Scholarship winners and two Solomon Scholarship winners will be joining the Class of 2026 at Erskine College.
The Presidential Scholarship is the highest scholarship award offered at Erskine College, and covers tuition, room and board, and required fees, minus any state, federal, or outside scholarships and grants. This year’s Presidential winners are Gavin Michael Lamb and William David Moore.
Gavin Lamb is a homeschooled student from Lilburn, Georgia. He participates in a homeschool hybrid, spending a portion of his school time in a classroom setting.
During his freshman year, he joined student leadership at his homeschool hybrid, serving on the social committee. During his sophomore year, he was accepted into Orbit Arts Academy, a theater intensive program. The academy’s spring performance was cut short by COVID-19, he says, but before that he put in 14 hours of acting, dancing, and singing each week. In his junior year, he joined Beta Club and also began playing drums at his church. He now leads a Bible study for sixth-grade boys, attends a book club, serves as co-president of Beta Club, and continues as a percussionist for his church.
Gavin is considering whether he is being called to the ministry, and says, “I believe Erskine offers a broad range of academics that will allow me to explore different elements of ministry to better equip myself for the pulpit and the world.”
Will Moore is from Iva, South Carolina, and attends Crescent High School in his hometown.
Will has been active in the Student Government Association, serving as treasurer and class president; is a member of Beta Club; has been a starter on the varsity soccer team for three years; and is a member of the varsity cross country team. He is active in his church youth group and has played club soccer for more than eight years. He has also volunteered for community service projects and says, “The activity that had the greatest impact on me was assisting with the countywide Special Needs Prom.”
Both his parents are educators, and he hopes to major in history and mathematics and minor in secondary education. His grandfather as well as his parents are Erskine College graduates, and he has grown up hearing stories about their college years. “Erskine is a part of me,” he says. “I want to be a part of Erskine.”
The Solomon Scholarship covers up to 16 credit hours of tuition per semester and is renewable for a total of four years. The Solomon winners this year are Rachel Lucille Jordan and Katherine Grace Van Horn.
Rachel Jordan, from Loris, South Carolina, is a student at Loris High School.
Rachel is member of the Horry County Schools Scholars Academy and was inducted into its chapter of the National Honor Society. She played junior varsity softball, participated in marching band, and was a member of all-county band, all-county chorus, Senior Beta Club and Mu Alpha Theta. She worked on the yearbook staff, serving as editor during her senior year. Active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), she spoke at a Fields of Faith event sponsored by FCA. She participated in Palmetto Girls State in her junior year. Her community service activities include working at the Samaritan’s Purse processing center; serving at “Night to Shine,” a prom experience for students with disabilities sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation; and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.
Rachel’s grandfather and mother are Erskine alumni. Her grandparents live in Due West, and she says, “I feel very much at home at Erskine College.” She would like to complete her education and “get a job that I enjoy and am passionate about.” Her goal is “to live my life in a way that gives God all the glory and shows other people that Jesus lives within me.”
Katherine Van Horn is from Spokane, Washington, and is a student at The Oaks, a classical Christian academy in Spokane.
Katherine has participated in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate for the past four years; has been a member of her school choir for 11 years; is a member of her school’s honor choir; volunteers with Path of Life, a pro-life organization; has taken part in drama productions; and has served as treasurer of the Young Republicans Club. She also volunteers with the local Upward football league, helping to run the concession stand. Attending a small Christian school “has really shaped me as a Christian and a person” and she believes Erskine can play a similar role in her life.
Speaking about her future plans, Katherine says her parents served as missionaries for two years, and she hopes to follow in their footsteps. She also loves interacting with children. “I know of several mission organizations that could give me the opportunity to work with children on the mission field,” she says.
“We had a broad mix of local and out-of-state talent at this year’s Presidential Scholarship event,” says Dean of Admissions Dr. Tim Rees. “We are thankful that so many great prospective students came to experience our Erskine campus and participate in the competition. I am definitely looking forward to seeing many of these students on campus next fall.”
