Durham Teen Awarded $1,000 Scholarship for Honduras Children's Project

An 18-year-old Durham resident has been selected as one of 200 recipients — and only three locally — to receive a $1,000 Kohl's Cares Scholarship.

Kohl's Department Stores announced that Charles Proctor was one of three recipients in the area. Proctor notably founded in 2011 the Honduras Children’s Project, dedicated to improving the lives of 43 children who live at the Copprome Orphanage in El Progeso, Honduras. 

In the past two years, he’s raised $30,000, helping to fund teachers’ salaries special education classes, and school supplies.

More than 35,000 nominees nationwide applied for the scholarships. The other two recipients were 12-year-old Ryan Bell of Wallingford and 11-year-old Anna Murphy of Stafford Springs.

Through the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program, Kohl's is encouraging promising youth to further their education at a time when college costs continue to rise and parents are relying heavily on federal and private student loans to fund higher education.

Winners are chosen based on initiative, leadership, generosity and project benefits and outcome. Each regional-level winner qualifies for one of Kohl’s 10 national scholarships, which will be announced at the end of July. National winners will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and Kohl’s will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on each national winner’s behalf.