The only two students in the Chattanooga area to receive and accept Haslam scholarships to UT graduated from Ooltewah High School.
“This is an example of the quality education that these students are exposed to at Ooltewah High School,” said Assistant Principal Sylvia Hutsell.
Ben Cruz plans to major in bio systems engineer at UT, and Braden Lype will major in nursing. Haslam Scholars receive a full ride to UT.
After three former Ooltewah High School students where charged with the aggravated rape and aggravated assault of a fellow student earlier this school year, students and staff say they want to highlight news more reflective of the overall student body at the school.
Lype and Cruz said they sat in a room with about 30 finalists for the scholarship, all of them great students and deserving of the honor, but it was they, along with 12 other Tennessee students and one from North Carolina, who made the final cut.