Anthony Bynum: Future Leader in Golf and Community Service
Meet Anthony Bynum, an inspiring young leader honored with the Heritage Scholarship for his academic excellence and community impact. Learn how his passion for diversity and community service is shaping the future of golf and beyond.
Golf’s Next Generation: Anthony Bynum Honored with Heritage Scholarship
Hilton Head Island, SC – April 13, 2023
Prior to this week’s RBC Heritage event, the closest Anthony Bynum had come to Harbour Town Golf Links was one of the many parking lots on the Sea Pines property. But on Tuesday, the 18-year-old Hilton Head High School senior found himself at the center of the action, walking down the 18th fairway as part of the opening ceremonies.
Bynum was selected as one of the 11 winners of the prestigious Heritage Scholarship, a program that has awarded over $5.4 million in funding to 386 students in the Beaufort and Jasper counties since its inception in 1993. The scholarship, which provides four-year grants of $16,000-20,000, recognizes students based on their academic achievement, community service, and leadership skills.
For Bynum, who has been accepted to prestigious schools like CalTech and Harvard, the scholarship means the difference between attending college or not. “I can’t afford college unless I pay for it myself through scholarships or through working or through loans,” he explains. “This scholarship means that I get to pursue my dreams in aerospace engineering and in other fields later on.“
Bynum’s commitment to community service is equally impressive. He logs over 200 volunteer hours each year, working with organizations like Pockets Full of Sunshine and Neighborhood Outreach Connections. He has also started his own initiative, NextGen Tutoring, which provides elementary school students with one-on-one academic support.
“I guess the idea came to me my sophomore year just being a person of color, African American here,” Bynum says. “I haven’t seen a lot of diversity within specifically higher-level classes. And it was kind of a bothersome thing for me because I didn’t have anybody else who was African American like me, or even there were a few Hispanic people, but not many. And I mean, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was bothering to me.“
While Bynum is not a golfer himself, he recognizes the impact the RBC Heritage has on the local community. “The coolest thing when he got the Heritage Scholarship a few weeks back, and we were leaving and he said, who knows, maybe I’ll just come back here when I retire with my children and I’ll do the same thing,” his mother, Feven, recalls.
With his impressive academic credentials, community leadership, and drive to give back, Anthony Bynum is poised to be a shining example of the next generation of golf enthusiasts and advocates.
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