JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A scholarship funded by the PGA Tour and the Players Championship is helping local students pursue technology careers while honoring the memory of a young man killed in the 2023 Dollar General shooting.
A.J. Laguerre was 19 when he was among three people killed in a racially motivated attack at a Dollar General on King’s Road, tournament organizers said. The scholarship established in his name is intended to carry forward his interest in video games and streaming and to support students studying cybersecurity and information technology.
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Heath Alderman, a student at Florida State College at Jacksonville, is a recipient of the A.J. Laguerre Jr. endowed scholarship. Alderman, who is studying cybersecurity, said the award means more than financial help — it lets him pursue a longtime interest while honoring someone who shared that passion.
“I feel like I could actually continue what he wanted,” Alderman said. “So not only am I doing something that I would like to pursue, I’m continuing what he wanted, in a way.”
The scholarship covers full tuition for qualified students, with preference given to high school graduates enrolling in technology programs who live in several Jacksonville ZIP codes and in Zone One, organizers said.
The first year the award was offered, about 300 Raines High School students benefited from scholarship support tied to the tournament, organizers added.
Tournament officials said The Players Championship pumps about $234 million into the local economy each year through tourism, community grants and scholarships. The event also spotlights a different charity each day; Friday’s featured charity was First Tee.
Volunteers and course crews were already preparing the course for play, pruning greens and readying the grounds, officials said. The tournament’s community investments are part of a broader effort to support nonprofits and educational programs in the area.