WAKE FOREST — For the forty-second time since it began doing so in 1981, the Trentini Foundation honored the best and brightest high school students in Wake Forest during its annual scholarship banquet on Saturday. Held at the Wake Forest Baptist Church, 13 seniors from Wake Forest and Heritage High School were awarded for excellence in academics and extracurricular activities. 
The foundation is named for the late Anthony Trentini — an Army veteran and former Wake Forest College football star in the 1950s. After graduation, Trentini turned down an offer to play in the NFL in favor of signing on to become the first head football coach at Wake Forest High School, which he did until 1963. Afterwards, the former Massachusetts resident moved on to other coaching opportunities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
In 1976, while preparing for his seventh season as offensive line coach at Temple University, Trentini suddenly died at the age of 47. But his legacy continues through his family, friends and former students. 
Attorney James Warren took his health and physical education class in 1963 and delivered a speech at the banquet about his former teacher. 
“He was a dynamic and outstanding leader,” Warren said. “He expected a lot out of himself and he expected it of others. He pushed people to be the best they could be and did a great job of it in a kind and smooth way.”
The finalists were selected by the Trentini Foundation’s scholarship award committee, which received nominations from faculty and administrators at Wake Forest and Heritage High. The selection criteria includes academic, athletic and leadership accolades, along with participation in school activities. The committee also looks at social development and general character from its finalists.
The main Wake Forest winner was Chloe Alston, who received a $30,000 scholarship to attend Howard University next year. Alston is the president of the National Achievers Society and Family Career and Community Leaders of America, secretary of the Key Club, a member of the National Honor Society and National History Honor Society. She also plays varsity softball and tennis.
“It’s a life-changing scholarship and I’m happy to have been considered for it,” she said. “It feels good being recognized for achievements I’ve made — the things that I do are for others — so it means a lot to me being celebrated, along with everyone else in the room.”
The main scholarship winner from Heritage High School was Emma Noelle Urton, who was awarded $5,000 to attend Arizona State University. Urton is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club, American Sign Language Club, National Science Society and Math Honor Society, and performed in eight musicals during her four years at Heritage. Urton was also a two-sport athlete, playing varsity soccer and track and field.
“I never thought in a million years I’d be the winner,” she said. “I kept joking with the other finalists and I was truly shell-shocked.”
Though not in attendance, Caroline Grace Becker received the Trentini Foundation’s Community College/Technical School scholarship worth $1,000. Becker will pursue her associate’s degree in pharmacy technology at Wake Tech Community College.
The five other scholarship winners from WFHS — Parker Bowman, Grace Marie Gilmore, Nicholas Hottell, Riley Page and Preston Athas Spencer — each received $1,000. The five Heritage High students — Erin Anne Alden, William Chen, Lauren Lascano, Liam Collins Smith and Elena Suarez — were awarded $250. The foundation began awarding scholarships to Heritage in 2013, the year of the school’s first graduating class.
“When the high school split, we felt like we still needed to include Heritage High School even though that wasn’t where Mr. Trentini coached,” said Anna Marie Schumitta, president of the Trentini Foundation board of directors. “Those children in the past would’ve gone to Wake Forest, and we wanted to honor all of the students here.”
Schumitta is also a former Trentini scholarship winner from the Wake Forest Class of 2003. The keynote speaker at the banquet, Maj. George “Travis” Rabb, was a scholarship winner in 1991 who spoke to the finalists about continuing their success in college and beyond.
“It’s great that the foundation is keeping this alive and continuing to spotlight great and talented kids in both of the area’s high schools,” Rabb said.
This was the first time since 2019 that the foundation held the banquet. And while students received scholarship money in 2020 and 2021, Schumitta said this year meant even more in a live setting. 
“It’s just exciting being able to see their faces and reactions, just getting everyone together as a celebration,” Schumitta said. “The energy was wonderful as a fellowship to honor Coach Trentini’s life.”