Chase Watson had just walked back to the Cornerstone Inn from tutoring Brown County Intermediate School students and getting a haircut when his cell phone rang the afternoon of Dec. 14.
He had been preparing himself for a ‘No’ when he answered the call from Jenise Bohbrink, the development and program assistant for the Brown County Community Foundation.
But Bohbrink was calling with good news to share: Watson had been selected as the 2019 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.
“She said ‘Well, I hope you’re doing well and I hope your day has been great. I hope I can make it a little better.’ I was like ‘Oh my gosh. This isn’t real. This isn’t happening’ because I had prepared myself so much for a no,” Watson said.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]“I am up against some really smart, talented kids. I was just preparing myself for a no. When she said ‘Yes.’ It was just overwhelming.”
But if you ask his dad Chad Kritzer, he knew Watson was going to receive the full scholarship to any Indiana college all along.
“I was like ‘See I told you, you would get this.’ I had full confidence in him. He’s such an integrous young man and has worked so hard. He’s very humble about his position in life and in school,” Kritzer said.
Kritzer became an “immediate father” to Watson and his older brother Ben when he married their mother Lauri. He had no children before and Chase was around 5 years old at the time. Their father, Gregg Watson, passed away suddenly in 2005.
Lauri and Gregg Watson opened the Victory Family Fun Center in 1999.
Chase said he still remembers growing up in the fun center, like getting on top of the pool tables there because he was too short to play. He remembers watching the little TV in the center’s party room and taking pickles as a snack from the kitchen.
“The crane lady was always really nice to me. When she came to unlock the crane and fix stuff she would give me a toy sometimes. It was really fun. And the putt-putt. I wish we still had it. There’s nothing like that in town anymore,” he said.
After Gregg passed away, Lauri kept the center going for a while before it sold in 2013 to Nashville Christian Church. The family also moved out of the county, but later returned to Brown County when Chase was in third grade.
Lauri said this scholarship is an answer to their prayers.
“I am so excited for him because of some things our family has walked through. A lot of things that were prepared for Chase were unavailable because of some things in the past,” she said.
“I know just beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is taking care of the desires of Chase’s heart and mine. It’s such a privilege to represent Brown County in this way. He has done hard work for sure, so I can rejoice with him in it.”
Chase told his dad Chad first about the scholarship. He works at the Cornerstone Inn with his parents and grandmother.
“It was a very, very awesome thing to hear,” Chad said.
Both Lauri and Chad use the word “integrity” to describe their son.
“When you talk with him, what you hear from him is from his heart. When he works, when he gives, when he plans, I would say his integrity is what I understand and faithfulness is what I understand the most,” Lauri said.
“I don’t know that he’s ever not gotten along with anybody. He’s just a superstar out there as far as I’m concerned, but I’m his dad. He’s been a very easy young man to raise. When I look out in the world and see all that I could have had, I am certainly blessed for sure,” Chad added.
After telling his dad, Chase invited Lauri to the lobby of the Cornerstone Inn to get a photo in front of the Christmas tree. She had been in a meeting when he found out earlier. That’s when he had his grandmother snap a few photos of him sharing the good news.
“I was just so happy, happy,” she said.
“It was wonderful.”
‘I just like learning’
Chase Watson is considering becoming a mechanical engineer after college.
He has been accepted to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and is waiting to see if his acceptance letter will arrive from Purdue University. He wants to study engineering with a possible minor in economics.
“They don’t send out their acceptance letters until January I heard. They like to take their time, which is nerve wracking,” he said of Purdue.
Both his brother and his grandfather also attended Purdue.
Watson said he didn’t really know he liked engineering until he took a physics class his senior year.
“I knew I liked math. I knew I didn’t want to do anything with English. I’m good at English, but I don’t want to write or do anything like that,” he said.
When he is not studying, Watson said he enjoys playing tennis.
“Tennis is my main thing I like to do. I do enjoy studying. I’m a nerd. I just like learning,” Watson said.
He also volunteers at Mother’s Cupboard and around the high school. He’s a member of the Rotary Interact Club at the high school. Watson and the club recently helped with the annual Holiday Light Parade in Nashville.
He also helps with the high school’s Riley Dance Marathon.
Watson also attends church in Columbus where he is on the worship team and plays drums in the church’s band. He was a member of the high school band until his senior year.
He loves tutoring students at the intermediate school, too.
“It makes me want to be an elementary school teacher. I’m really good with kids. I love teaching kids. I do it at my church as well,” he said.
Watson said throughout high school he has enjoyed meeting new people, especially positive role models he had his freshman year on the tennis team. Watson has played tennis since eighth grade and has played in the one singles position on the high school team.
He said he looks forward to meeting even more people in college and he hopes to travel to Europe as part of a foreign exchange program.
As he’s looking forward to graduating this spring and starting this next chapter in his life, Watson said he would tell freshmen to keep looking forward into their future.
“See where your decisions now are going to lead. Where are they going to take me? I feel like sometimes students get caught up in ‘Oh, this is so stressful. Finals. I have to stay up late and I don’t want to,’ but it’s going to pay off,” he said.
