EDGEFIELD, S.C.—The National Wild Turkey Federation awarded Helen Bailey of Mechanicsville, Maryland, with the $10,000 Dr. James Earl Kennamer Academic Scholarship, sponsored by Mossy Oak.
“Hunting has been a family tradition that has been passed down through generations,” Bailey said. “Continuing these traditions will keep hunting alive and is something that is important to me and my family.”
As the recipient of the NWTF’s 2022 Dr. James Earl Kennamer National Academic Scholarship, Bailey distinguished herself as a dedicated conservationist, hunter, intellectual and a steward of her community. Throughout her high school career, Bailey has excelled in her studies, taking nearly all AP courses and concluding her high school career with a 4.0 GPA and second in her class of 379.
Bailey has exemplified leadership by balancing her extracurricular activities with her scholastic achievements. She has served as captain and team leader for Chopticon High School’s softball and volleyball teams, both of which she has been a part of throughout her four years in high school. In addition, she has served four years on the Chopticon Class of 2022 Officer Team, where she was previously the school publicist and is currently the vice president. Bailey is also her school’s current National Honor Society president.
The Maryland native is as involved with her community as she is in her academics, as an active member of the NWTF, Ducks Unlimited, Mechanicsville Optimist Club, Southern Maryland Impact travel softball team and her church.
Outside of Bailey’s academic excellence and involvement in her community, she grew up around the Chesapeake Bay enjoying all of the area’s great outdoor opportunities, including crabbing, fishing and hunting.
“NWTF is thankful to Mossy Oak for their sponsorship of the Dr. James Earl Kennamer Academic Scholarship program, and we are proud to honor the achievements of students like Helen Bailey,” said Teresa Carroll, NWTF Education and Outreach Programs coordinator. “We wish her much success as she continues to pursue her lifelong passion for hunting and conservation and a degree in biology and environmental sciences.”
The NWTF is proud to have supported over $5.5 million in academic scholarships to students like Bailey across North America who demonstrate leadership skills and a commitment to conservation and academic excellence.
“We are immensely proud of Helen’s accomplishments in her studies and her community,” NWTF CEO Becky Humphries said. “Bright-minded conservationists like Helen are leading the charge to conserve our natural resources and preserve our hunting heritage, and the NWTF is pleased to invest in her future.”
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
When the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded in 1973, there were about 1.3 million wild turkeys in North America. After decades of work, that number hit a historic high of almost 7 million turkeys. To succeed, the NWTF stood behind science-based conservation and hunters’ rights. Today, the NWTF is focused on the future of hunting and conservation through its Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative. Since 2012, this 10-year initiative has already eclipsed goals of conserving or enhancing more than 4 million acres of essential wildlife habitat, recruiting or retaining more than 1.5 million hunters and opening access to more than 500,000 acres for hunting and other recreation opportunities. This critical work will continue to impact wildlife habitat and our great outdoors in the final years of the initiative.
