Every now and then, people get what they deserve.

Camille Downing, director of the Pike Regional Child Advocacy Center, said Zachary Lewis has gotten just what he deserves.

Lewis, a senior at Charles Henderson High School and a two-year volunteer at the CAC in Troy, has been awarded a Full Sail Creative Minds Scholarship to Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla. The scholarship is in the amount of $22,000.

“I don’t know of anyone who is more deserving of this scholarship than Zachary,” Downing said. “He is a talented musician and an all around good student with such a creative and inventive mind.”

Full Sail University is a creative arts schools and Lewis is planning a career in the recording arts and music production.

Downing said Lewis has turned a room in his home into a recording studio and invites other students to come and record their music.

“That’s an example of the kind of young man he is,” Downing said. “I know what he means to us here at the CAC. He is an outstanding role model for the children at the Center and he is a mentor for the male children who come here.”

Downing said Lewis works tirelessly for the CAC and is one of its strongest advocates.

“Zachary helps with all the activities at the CAC and is even here on Saturdays,” she said. “He assists us with our festival in August and we depend on him so much. We are just so proud of this opportunity for Zachary.”

To qualify for the Full Sail Creative Minds Scholarship, applicants must have a 3.0 GPA and two letters of recommendation from teachers.

Downing said Lewis easily met the requirements and could have gotten a bushel basket of letters of recommendation.

“This month, we are celebrating Zachary’s scholarship award along with Child Abuse Awareness Month here at the CAC,” Downing said.

Lewis said he is very appreciative of the creative minds scholarship and the opportunities that it brings.

For consideration for the creative minds scholarship, Lewis said he selected a Trayvon Martin tribute song he recorded in his home studio.

At CHHS, Lewis is a member of the Blue Machine Marching Band and runs track.

“I’ve been marching band since my freshman year at CHHS,” Lewis said. “I’ve competed in the state track meet every year. My sophomore year, my 4×1 team won the state championship with a time of 41.4 seconds.”

Lewis is a member of the People to People Student Ambassadors Program.

“I have traveled to Ireland, England, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Sicily, Greece and Wales,” he said.

Although he has traveled to great and wonderful places, Lewis said he is looking forward to traveling to Winter Park, Florida where his dream of a career in the recording arts and music production will come true.