‘Speechless’ about FWKCC scholarship

It takes a lot to render Max Wegzyn speechless, but family members and Town officials managed to do just that Friday, Aug. 20, when the Farragut West Knox Chamber of Commerce business intern was unexpectedly presented with a college scholarship.

Wegzyn thought he was accompanying FWKCC president/CEO Julie Blaylock to Town Hall to help present a continuing education scholarship to Trevor Hobbs, assistant to the Town administrator. While that did occur, the main goal was to surprise Wegzyn with a $1,000 scholarship, just as the recent Farragut High School grad was serving out his final two weeks with the Chamber.

“Honestly I am speechless for once,” said the outgoing teen, whose parents, Mark and Mary Wegzyn, and brother, Luke, were alerted to the presentation so they could attend. “I am left without words. I was not expecting it.”

“You did not know it, and we did not know it, but when you applied to be our intern (earlier this year), you were just what our office needed after the last 18 months,” Blaylock said. “I hope you know how much we really, really loved your presence, and how much help you have been to us.”

FWKCC Board chair Terry Rutherford said Max “had so many skills on the technical and digital side that were really helpful to us.”

“The cool thing is they don’t know when they apply for what is an unpaid position, that a scholarship might be the result,” Board treasurer Angela Harvey said. “And just to see his face, that’s what it’s all about.”

Wegzyn was hired in the summer to continue working for the Chamber until he left for college. His last official day was Friday, Aug. 27, as he was due to arrive in Detroit the following day as a student at the College for Creative Studies.

“I am beyond grateful to be receiving this scholarship,” he said.

“The chamber has taught me so, so much and has been nothing but a beneficial experience for me.”