Susan and I were Christmas shopping in Shepherdstown on Saturday afternoon when we popped into the Sweet Shop Bakery for a cup of coffee. A young lady behind the counter had just finished serving an older gentleman when she realized that he’d mistakenly given her a tip of two new five dollar bills that were stuck together. She ran out onto rainy German Street to find the man and return the second five-dollar bill.
Susan and I commended her for her honesty and kindness when she came back into the shop. I thought she looked familiar, and said to Susan, “I think she may have gotten one of our scholarships.” Never one to be shy, Susan said to her. “My husband thinks he knows you. Did you receive a scholarship from the Community Foundation?” The young lady smiled and said, “Yes, and he looked familiar to me, too.”
She introduced herself as Carly Holben and we immediately connected all the dots. Carly was the recipient a Dr. T.K. Oates Nursing Scholarship that was awarded by the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation this year and she is enrolled at Shepherd University, studying to become a nurse. Susan and I had met Carly during the scholarship interviews in April and she left a lasting impression because of her intelligence, composure, and fine sense of humor. On her way to a performance of the Martinsburg High Good Times Show Choir, she had been dressed in jeans and a red t-shirt.
Carly just finished her first semester at Shepherd and has done very well with her studies. It was delightful catching up with her, and hearing about her success in school. The future of the world is bright and in good hands, with young, honest people like Carly stepping up to lead us into better times.