A Bainbridge Middle School eighth grader will get a look at college life this summer before he even starts high school with the help of a scholarship.

Jordan Davis runs cross-country, participates in quiz bowl and stays active in his local church. He also scored well enough on the ACT last year to be admitted to Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) this summer.

For most of the month of June, Davis will stay in a Duke dorm with a roommate and be responsible for his own laundry, getting up in time to make it to class every morning and keeping up with meetings with his mentor.

“We’re just very appreciative of this honor,” Davis’ mom Joy said. “It was unexpected. We knew his scores, but we didn’t know that he would be eligible for a scholarship. The day Ms. June contacted me and told me, he knew we were looking into possibly sending him, but the day I found out, he came home and said, ‘I can’t believe I’m really going.’”

Davis said that he’s most looking forward to a new experience in a new area while getting a taste of college and making friends. He and his family are also thankful for the scholarship that’s helping cover the costs.

“I feel honored to get the scholarship so I have the amazing opportunity to go,” Davis said.

“One thing that we’ve learned is that there aren’t a lot of programs besides what our school district offers in summer to keep gifted children stimulated and continuing to grow,” Joy Davis said. “If it was not for the Faircloth scholarship — it wouldn’t have been impossible, but it is a good bit of financial contribution for these programs”

Davis is the 2015 recipient of the Dylan Reid Faircloth Duke TIP Scholarship of $4000. The scholarship is awarded to a local student who qualifies for the Duke TIP program and “shows strong intellectual abilities and a love for learning,” according to June Faircloth. The scholarship, as well as the DRF1 XC Memorial Scholarship, is funded in part through the annual Epic 5K Challenge.*

Faircloth said that she wants to keep Decatur County students in the program every year because it’s such a great experience.

While at Duke, Davis will take a history course called “Dictators, Kings and CEOs: The Evolution of Empire.”

“I like history,” Davis said. “It’s one of my favorite subjects. It sounded like a really good course, and history is fun to learn.”

*Editor’s note: This paragraph was edited to clarify the difference between the Dylan Reid Faircloth Duke TIP Scholarship and the DRF1 XC Memorial Scholarship.