Ethan Golditch is ready to take the 1,192.2-mile trip from Warwick to Tuscaloosa, Alabama thanks to a scholarship. Golditch is the recipient of the Presidential Award and will receive all four years of undergraduate tuition free at the University of Alabama.

A well-rounded student at Toll Gate, Golditch ran track and cross country for all four years and indoor for two. He is member of the National and Spanish Honor Societies. He has worked hard to maintain his grades as well. 

"I was second in my class before Vets students came to Toll Gate, now I am fourth," he said. 

Ethan has done his community service hours volunteering at his temple, Temple Beth-El in Providence, assigned to the third grade religious school class. He currently is working as a page at the State House.

He plans to major in pre-med hoping to focus on emergency medicine. "I like the idea of triage. I don't necessarily want to do surgery, but haven't ruled it out. I like biology, anatomy and science. I've always been really good at those classes," he said.

Golditch knew he always wanted to go away for college. "I like the atmosphere in the south better. It's very laid back, the weather is nice and the people are very diversified," he said.

Golditch was born with a bilaterally hearing deficient and is unable to hear certain sound frequencies. While it is a deficit, to Ethan it has only been a nuisance.

"It really is a minor obstacle. I remember in elementary school the teacher had a microphone, and it was hooked up to my hearing aids. I really don't even wear aids anymore. I am very good at lip reading, and don't have too much of a problem unless a room is very loud or there are lots of different sounds and noises at the same time," he said.

Ethan looks forward to taking advantage of everything college life has to offer. "I definitely will continue to run, even if I don't make their team, I will look into Greek life, I want to try a little bit of everything," he said.

His father, Jason Golditch is not surprised by Ethan's success.

"I am especially proud of Ethan because he found this scholarship opportunity all on his own. Admittedly I had tried to steer Ethan to certain schools or scholarships, but this one was all on his own.

I think to everyone's surprise, Ethan's ability to overcome what might be a disability to learning was amazing.  ”I never got tired of hearing from his teachers at review time, ‘Ethan is a teacher's dream, we wish every student was like him’

I know he will succeed at whatever he chooses to do.  Right now he wants to be a doctor working in trauma and emergency medicine. Ethan will have my full support no matter what he chooses to pursue," said Golditch.