By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
Ryan Tranter is working towards his goal of opening his own restaurant one day. He got some financial help towards that goal as he was awarded the Bob Smith Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by the Cherokee Rodders, during a presentation at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds on the evening of Tuesday, July 11.
Tranter, an EBCI tribal member from the Big Cove Community currently enrolled in the culinary program at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, also received the $1,000 scholarship last year.
FUTURE CHEF: Ryan Tranter (left) receives the Bob Smith Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by the Cherokee Rodders, during a presentation at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds on the evening of Tuesday, July 11 from Big Cove Rep. Richard French. Tranter, an EBCI tribal member from the Big Cove Community currently enrolled in the culinary program at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, also received the $1,000 scholarship last year. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather)
“It helped out pretty good,” he said of last year’s award. “It helped pay for my parking for the school. I used a little of it to buy books and to buy a new chef uniform.”
Tranter said he enjoys the pace of culinary school. “We do five, 9-day courses and labs, and in those nine days we cram almost 11 weeks of classwork in.”
Home for the summer, he is working at Selu Garden at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. “After winter break, I’ll come back for my internship, and I’ll be working a little at each of the restaurants in the casino.”
Following graduation, he said he’d like to garner a job on a cruise ship and learn about cuisine around the world. “Then, I’ll come back here and open up a traditional restaurant.”
Ann Ball, Cherokee Rodders secretary, said the scholarship is named for the late Bob Smith, the founder of the club. “It started in 2015. Bob passed away Nov. 5, 2015, and he had been the president for 10 years. The club decided at the car show that year that we would do the scholarship in memory of him.”
In the first year of the scholarship, three awards were given. For the first two years, it has been deemed an overall vocational scholarship, but going forward it will go to students pursuing auto mechanics as a career.
Info: Follow the Cherokee Rodders on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cherokee.rodders/ or visit their website: https://www.cherokeerodders.com/
