INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. — When Union County Public Schools students cross the stage at graduation, some of them will have a full-ride scholarship to Wingate University as part of a new program. 

One of those graduates overcame a violent crime to earn his diploma and head off to school. 

What You Need To Know

  •  UCPS' first class of 11 Wayfind scholars are set to graduate in a few weeks

  •  Chrishaun Hough, one of the 11, had to overcome a violent crime to reach graduation

  •  Hough's mom said she is "very proud" of her son 

“I get started this fall, and I’m going to be studying communications so I can do sports broadcasting,” Chrishaun Hough said. 

Hough, a senior at Porter Ridge High School, hopes to one day call professional football games or boxing matches.

The senior has spent his entire academic career in Union County Public Schools and is set to attend Wingate University this fall with a full scholarship. But, Hough almost never made it to the stage, or to college.

A January 2020 shooting in Anson County left him paralyzed.

“Me and my cousins went to play a game of basketball, and I was asleep in the car — so I don’t know, really know, what led up to what, but I guess somebody got in an argument out there. And then when we left, they happened to follow us to wherever we had went to. I’m still asleep in the car, and I think they shot up the car,” Hough said about the shooting that happened three years ago.

His cousin died in the shooting and Chrishaun’s mother, Loretta Gaddy, said her son struggled to overcome depression, his injury and continuing to attend school. 

“Like, I wasn’t doing no school work for like two or three months, cause I just had to really like learn how to do everything else again. I couldn’t even sit up straight my first week,” Hough recalled.

Gaddy said besides his cousin, Hough’s main worry was what would happen to his scholarship to Wingate University.

“Very proud, cause he didn’t lose his strong mind. He’s a strong-minded young man already. And after his incident, it didn’t really affect him, to where you know it caused him to lose his scholarship and everything. He still fought hard to keep that scholarship,” Gaddy said, while watching Hough play basketball.

Hough and 10 other UCPS students are the first Wayfind Program scholars, public school students who kept at least a 3.0 to get a four-year scholarship to Wingate. The scholars are the first in their families to go to college.

The program connects eighth graders, who write an application essay, with mentors to prepare them for college. The mentors help the students with writing, resume building, interview practice, application preparation, ACT and SAT preparation and other skills, according to UCPS.

Of the original inducted class of eighth graders in 2019, 11 kept their scholarships, valued at $1.5 million, and are set to attend Wingate University.

Hough and Gaddy credited several of Hough’s teachers and administrators at UCPS for helping him stay on course in the program after his injury. Gaddy also said she hopes Hough’s successful graduation this summer hits back at those who she said made damaging assumptions about her son.

“We’ve had a couple incidents where people want to be judgmental,” Gaddy said. “Just because he’s a young Black man, and he got shot, they figure, ‘Oh, he was involved in something or he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.’ When it was neither one of those.”

Gaddy said Hough had gone to Anson County originally to spend the weekend with his grandmother. 

After the shooting, Hough said he did not know if he would keep his scholarship or what would happen to him.

“I didn’t really see the plan, or like I don’t know, what was next, or whatever. But, I mean I’ve always been a pretty strong-minded dude, so I figured I’d be alright, and I’m alright,” Hough said beside his mother.

Now, mom is just waiting to watch a game her son is broadcasting. 

“Yes and I’m ready,” Gaddy said with a smile. “I think he can do it.”