Empowering Futures Through Scholarship
Since 1979, we’ve helped Moore County’s brightest students turn ambition into achievement through life-changing scholarships.
Our reach
How we’re making a difference
4+
Moore County High Schools. One shared path to opportunity
170+
Scholarships awarded in nursing and 4-year programs
$2.3M
Invested in Moore County's future
Mission
To provide college scholarships to outstanding students from Moore Country NC High Schools who excel academically, lead with integrity, serve their communities and demonstration financial need.
A Legacy of Achievement
Since 1979, the Tin Whistles Scholarship Foundation (TWSF) has supported more than 170 Scholars and invested over $2.3 million in their college education. More than four decades of steady growth have built a dynamic and expanding alumni community whose members are thriving across a broad spectrum of careers.
1979 – First scholarships awarded: two 4‑year awards launched the program
2000 – Program expanded to four 4‑year scholarships
2024 – Program expanded again to six 4‑year scholarships, plus three nursing scholarships at Sandhills Community College
2026 Annual Letter from Chairman Joe McCullough
TWSF: Turning Education into Opportunity
My name is Joe McCullough and I have the honor of succeeding Mark Boynton as Chairman of the Tin Whistles Scholarship Foundation for 2026. Since the inception of the scholarship program in 1979, and the award of two scholarships, the Foundation has raised over $2.3M and awarded 174 scholarships.
MEET OUR SCHOLARS
Introducing our Latest Scholars
It is our privilege to introduce the 2025 Tin Whistles Scholarship Foundation recipients. Please join us in congratulating the nine exceptional Moore County seniors selected for this year’s scholarships:
Four-Year Scholars
Mason Broadway (Union Pines), NC State University
Ceilidh Clendenin (Union Pines), UNC – Chapel Hill
Keegan Cole-Bryan (Pinecrest), Wingate University
Miranda Waggoner (Pinecrest), NC State University
Allyson Flewwellin (Union Pines), Mars Hill University
Aaron Garner (North Moore), UNC – Chapel Hill
Nursing Scholars
Grace Queen (Union Pines), Sandhills Community College Nursing
Kaylee Smith (Pinecrest), Sandhills Community College Nursing
Madison Dills (North Moore), Sandhills Community College Nursing
SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT
What Our Scholars Are Doing Today
Emily Davis, Union Pines 2020, High Point University, Southern Methodist University
“In May 2024, I graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology from High Point University (HPU). At HPU, I contributed to five research projects under Dr. Verónica Segarra and Dr. Kristen Ackerman, and was selected for the competitive Undergraduate Research Program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where I worked under Dr. Helen Hou.
I’m excited to announce that I moved to Dallas, Texas and started my Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD program at Southern Methodist University in the Fall 2025. I was also selected for an SMU University PhD Fellowship, which will provide five years of fellowship funding in addition to my program stipend.
My research interests include identifying genetic predispositions, investigating molecular mechanisms, and developing targeted therapies for epilepsy and brain injury repair following events like traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke. I also plan to rotate in a lab studying cellular stress responses and neuroprotection. My passion for epilepsy research is largely because of my older sister Samantha, who developed post-traumatic epilepsy after a sports-related TBI and passed away from Sudden Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) two years later.
As always, I am beyond grateful to everyone at the Tin Whistles Scholarship Foundation for helping me get to this point!”
Kanye McKeithen, O’Neal 2023, University of North Carolina-Charlotte
“Over the summer I had the great opportunity to partake in an internship at Duke Energy! While there I learned many aspects of the business from designing distribution electrical systems to coordinating with customers and field crews.
Last fall I was excited to return to UNC Charlotte and am pleased to share that my junior year of studying Mechanical Engineering is going well. I was selected to be a part of a leadership group focused on supporting the Charlotte community and volunteer with my university’s engineering department to promote higher education.
I am also honored to have been selected to work with BP in Texas this upcoming summer and to participate in Honeywell’s mentorship program. Experiencing both of these opportunities will allow me to professionally develop my career as an engineer while gaining valuable industry insight and mentorship.
As I enter the spring semester of junior year, I hope to continue to excel academically and seek opportunities to continue growing as a leader.”
MEET OUR TEAM
Dedicated Leaders Committed to Excellence
Joe McCullouch
Chairman
James Koch
Vice-Chairman
John McClain
Secretary
Don Kinney
Treasurer
Learn More About our Parent Organization
The Tin Whistles Scholarship Foundation is a 501(C)(3) organizaion.
The Tin Whistles Scholarship Foundation
5 Dawn Rd
Pinehurst, NC 28394
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