The Shadow
On the afternoon of Sunday, July 23, a bench and tree dedication was held in honor of the late Carter Wickline, an AHS student who passed away at the tender age of 17 last year. Tomorrow, he would have turned 18. Wickline was a special student and proud “Alleghany Mountaineer” who loved golf and his family.
Founder of the Senior Adoption Project and family friend, Cary Linkswiler said that “he [Carter Wickline] has a beautiful location” at the Cliff View Golf Course and Inn, located at 410 Friels Drive in Falling Spring. They have been “very gracious in allowing us to use their golf course to be his new home.”
Carter Wickline, as evident by the bench and tree dedication, continues to leave his mark on the world. In Linkswiler’s speech Sunday, she said, “… the impact of his life has left an impact on us all and a void that could never be replaced.” Wickline has been described by one of his friends as “that one person whose smile could make anyone’s bad day go away.”
The “Carter Wickline Memorial Scholarship,” established by his family, is perhaps another way that Carter can smile down on others. “Any senior can apply for the fund as long as their GPA is 3.0 or higher,” Cary Linkswiler said.
For those wishing to donate to the “Carter Wickline Scholarship Fund,” you can do so by visiting the Highlands Community Bank and donating under the “Carter Wickline Memorial Scholarship.” Additionally, you can reach out to Cary Linkswiler at 540-816-3856.
As for Carter Wickline, his memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew him, and in the bench and tree depicting a tiny shadow of his legacy. The tree is a crepe myrtle, and the bench includes a loving picture of Carter with a moving inscription: “When tomorrow starts without me, try to understand, an angel came and called my name, then took me by the hand.”
