Sikeston sophomore wins $20K scholarship

leonnah@standard-democrat.com

SIKESTON -- When Scott Gordon received a phone call recently from Sikeston High School regarding his son, Eric Gordon, he was told Eric was in trouble.

Gordon admitted it sounded out of the ordinary for his son, and Eric was put on the phone.

"He told me he'd won $20,000 for college," Gordon beamed. He admitted although he was surprised by the large scholarship amount, his son placing in a national competition sounded more like the teen he knows.

On Thursday Eric, who is also the son of Kelly Akers of Morehouse, was presented with an oversized check for $20,000 through the H&R Block Budget Challenge -- a teen financial literacy program that rewards high school students and classes for mastering real-world budgeting and personal finance decision-making.

In addition, Sikeston High School gave Eric a gift card for his accomplishment.

Eric is one of 66 winners nationwide, and competed against more than 31,000 other students, including more than 150 of his fellow classmates.

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