Two White House High School 2023 graduates were recently awarded the first annual Crossroads Scholarship, a fund created by the family of Odell and Esterlene Starks in their memory. Mason Sadler and Izzy Parks were chosen based on a long list of criteria including their time spent at school and in the community. 

The scholarship is the handiwork of brothers Wayne and Lynn Starks and their children as a means to honor the spirit of giving that defines the legacy of their predecessors. After graduating from White House High School in 1939, Odell and Esterlene Starks owned the Crossroads Market and Gas Station at the intersection of Highway 25 and 31W in Cottontown. 

“My parents never had much money but they were such tremendous givers, “ said Wayne. “My dad would give credit to families that couldn’t afford to pay, banking on [the hope] they would come back at some point.” 

Wayne says that the time they spent in their parent’s store and watching their willingness to give to their community had a huge impact on him and his brother which they passed on to their children.  

Wanting to continue this positivity outside of their family, the Crossroads Scholarship was started. “We felt like the scholarship was one way to continue that legacy.”

The scholarship fund has reached just shy of $150,000 since being dedicated two years ago, but the Starks family has hopes to raise $250,000 over the next few years. Their goal is to award four to five WHHS graduates from each class in the future. 

Izzy Parks, one of this year’s winners, just began attending Western Kentucky University this fall to study Elementary Education with the hopes of coming back to this area to teach 2nd or 3rd grade. 

“I want to inspire them to love learning and help make differences in the world,” said Izzy. “I live in a single parent household, so coming up with the funds for college has always been a pressing issue. I’ve worked very hard over the last two years saving as much money as possible, and the Crossroads Scholarship gave me the opportunity to further my education and, in turn, inspire the youth to come.” 

Mason Sadler, the other 2023 winner,  is pursuing a double major in Bible Apologetics and Business at Freed-Hardeman University. “I am so thankful to the Starks family and to God for blessing me with this scholarship,” said Mason. “With it, I plan to use the knowledge I have gained in the field of preaching after I graduate.”

The Starks family is continuing to raise money to reach their goal of $250,000. Anyone wishing to contribute can mail checks to:

Crossroads Scholarship Fund

169 Braxton Lane East

Hendersonville, TN 37075

For more information about the scholarship and how to apply, contact White House High School administration or check out the scholarship's Facebook page here.