SOUTH FORT MYERS, Fla. A Cypress Lake High School senior received a “breathtaking” honor Sunday.
That’s what Willie Hall said about a ceremony at Sunday’s Red Sox-Twins spring training game in which he was one of 13 Lee County students awarded $5,000 college scholarships. Hall, whose father is in jail and whose mother struggles with mental illness, has overcome much to get to this point.
“This day for me gives me one little note from God that i’m going in the right direction and going down the right path,” Hall said. “And good things will come if I keep going and persevere.”
Hall emancipated from his parents when he was 16. He works two jobs — at Chick-Fil-A and Publix — and is dual-enrolled at Cypress Lake and Florida Southwestern State College.
“There’s nobody more deserving, hardworking, especially under the circumstances he’d had to endure,” Cypress Lake Counselor Frank Palmieri said. “It’s just great and it makes me very happy and proud today.”
The 2016 ‘Swings for the Sox” golf tournament on Oct. 14 at Tiburón Golf Club raised the funds for the scholarships, which went to one student from each of the county’s public high schools. A foundation committee chose the recipients based on academic performance, commitment to community service and eligibility for financial aid.
Hall plans to use his at the University of Florida, where he’ll enroll in June. He wants to become an athletic trainer. He also wants to use his perseverance to inspire others.
“Not a lot of people who’ve gone through what I’ve gone through get a lot of moral support,” he said. “So I want to be there for them to let them know that if I can do it, they can do it.”