Kenneth London Warlick, son of Kenny Warlick, shop foreman of Cleveland County School Bus Garage was awarded the R. A. “Buster” Bynum Southeastern States Pupil Transportation Conference (SESPTC) Scholarship Award at a special presentation ceremony held at the UNC-Charlotte Urban Institute Thursday, September 29, 2005 . DPI Transportation Services Section Chief Derek Graham presented Warlick a plaque and $1,000 check from the SESPTC to apply to his college education.

The Southeastern States Pupil Transportation Conference (SESPTC) is a non-profit corporation created over fifty-four years ago to host an annual conference focused on educating student transportation professionals working in the southeast. The member southeastern states are Alabama , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , Oklahoma , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas , Virginia , and West Virginia . The Conference is held annually, with the first held in 1951. The first president of the conference was C.C. Brown of North Carolina . Over the last few years, with the support of industry vendors, the SESPTC has accumulated funds, which the SESPTC Board of Directors has decided to disburse in the form of student education scholarships. This year the SESPTC Board has approved the award of one $1,000 scholarship to a deserving student in each of the fourteen southeastern states. In this, the inaugural year of the scholarship program, four states – including North Carolina - awarded scholarships.

London is a freshman at UNC-Charlotte studying for a mechanical engineering degree. He distinguished himself while attending Burns High School in Cleveland County . His accomplishments include the following: Lettered in Golf, Cross Country and Wrestling, Band – Drum Major, Eagle Scout, Operations Officer – Air Force Junior ROTC (scholarship winner).

He is an outstanding role model for young people in the community. Cleveland County transportation director Don Byrnes speaks highly of London and his father. “Kenny has been an employee of Cleveland County Schools Transportation Department for 30+years and has been an excellent employee. His son, London , is an outstanding student and person. I have known him for the 12 years I have been in Cleveland County , and have seen him grow as a person & student during this time.”

Congratulations to Kenny and London !