STATESVILLE — Purple Heart Homes has announced that Zachary Johnson, of Spencer, has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the Katherine Baich Endowed Scholarship. The $2,500 scholarship is awarded annually to the child or grandchild of a veteran with a service-connected disability.

Johnson, 18, graduated early from high school in 2020 through an online program, and has already completed two years of undergraduate work through South Piedmont Community College. He is enrolling this fall at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mathematics as part of a pre-med curriculum. He eventually hopes to earn a doctorate in psychiatry.

Johnson was eligible to apply for the scholarship thanks to his mother’s record of military service. Lisa Michelle Vines served three years with the U.S. Army before being discharged with a service-connected disability.

“I’m really proud of my mother for all she’s been through and come out victorious,” Johnson said. “She’s my role model.”

Endowment founder Katie Baich established the scholarship program as a Girl Scout Gold Award project, raising $50,000 to fund the initial endowment. Johnson is the sixth recipient of the scholarship, which was created to recognize the sacrifices made by veterans and their families.

Purple Heart Homes administers the scholarship program through a selection committee named by the organization’s Board of Directors. To qualify, applicants must live in North Carolina, be under 25 years of age, and be the child or grandchild of a veteran with a service-connected disability. To learn more, go to phhusa.org/endowed-scholarship.