Aug 22
Way Family Establishes Scholarship to Help Future Generations
Aug. 22, 2024 - Integrity is who you are when nobody is looking. That is how the late Buddy Way defined integrity, according to his son, Lee Way, who spoke kindly about his parents at a reception for the establishment of the Buddy & Jean Way Guarantee Endowment with the Richmond Community College Foundation.
“My mom is the hardest working person I have ever met, and she is the most generous person I have ever met,” Lee said. “The purpose of this gift (to the Foundation) is to honor them.”
The endowment will help fund the RichmondCC Guarantee program that provides two years free tuition and fees to qualified high school graduates who enroll at RichmondCC. Starting with the 2024 Fall Semester, 11 Richmond County Guarantee students were named Way Scholars based on their grade-point averages in the college classes they took at RichmondCC while in high school.
“Your family’s commitment and investment are going to pay dividends for years to come because this award incentivizes and recognizes that hard work pays off. It demonstrates to these young students that merit has meaning,” said Dr. Dale McInnis, president of RichmondCC.
The 11 inaugural Way Scholars are Kaleigh Cloninger, Anja Dietrich, Isaac Hinshaw, Christi Jacobs, Ryelan Lyerly, Madilyn Martin, Caleb Moore, Abbie Player, Emily Roberts, Kayla Scott and Madison Way.
“My parents made sure during our entire lives that my brother and I wanted for nothing. We had everything that we needed and 98 percent of what we wanted,” Lee said. “So to honor them is the easiest thing that we have done in our lives.”
About Buddy and Jean Way
A lifelong native of Richmond County, Jean graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Business Education & Economics. It wasn’t Jean’s intention to become a teacher, but she was encouraged by Rockingham Junior High School’s former principal, J.C. Mulkey, to come teach at the school. She stayed in education for 33 years and then went back after retirement for another six years.
Jean volunteers at Our Daily Bread and works as Richmond County School’s Homeless Coordinator. She attends First Methodist Church and is also on the board of the RichmondCC Foundation.
Buddy grew up in the Burlington area and played baseball and basketball at Elon University. He left Elon to play four years of professional baseball in the Braves organization. He eventually left baseball and graduated from Pfeiffer University with honors.
Buddy came to Richmond County as a teacher and coach at Rohanen High School for two seasons. As head baseball coach, his team won a state championship, and he received Coach of the Year honors in the Central Tarheel conference.
Buddy went on to work as judicial district manager of the NC Division of Adult Probation and Parole. He had a strong desire to help those who had taken a wrong path in life get back on the right track. He worked in probation and parole for 32 years. He passed away from cancer in 1999.
Buddy and Jean were married in 1971 and had two sons, Lee and Mike.
Lee owns Pella Windows of North Carolina and is married to Jennifer. They have three children, Trey, Seth and Caroline.
Mike was the athletic director at Richmond Senior High School for several years. He and his wife, Mica, have three children, Greyson, Cameron and Katie.
“Both Lee and Mike, like their mother and father, love to give and want to see others succeed,” said Dr. Hal Shuler, Associate Vice President of Development. “We are thankful to the entire Way family for this wonderful gift that will live on for many years.”
Donate to the Scholarship
If you would like to donate to the Buddy & Jean Way Guarantee Endowment, email whshuler@richmondcc.edu or call (910) 410-1807.