Lea Foster Khalil is the winner of the Furman Bee and Linnie Bond Watson Essay Contest sponsored by the Isham and Mary Hays Watson Descendants Association. She will receive a $200 scholarship.

Here is her winning essay:
Why I’m Proud of My Watson Heritage
By Lea Foster Khalil Descendant of William
Latta High School Class of 2021 Honors Graduate Planning To Attend University of South Carolina
As one monumental chapter of my life concluded, it led me to wonder not only what chapters would come next, but also what preceded my life. This caused me to reminisce upon my past in order to better appreciate and understand my heritage. As a child, my mother would always bring my sister and I to the annual Watson Family Reunions so that we could learn and appreciate the Watson Family Legacy. This knowledge of my family’s history helped shape not only my past, but also where I was going. As all children do, I needed a role model. Someone who valued what I believe in and could help me in my times of struggle. This role model turned out to be my grandfather, Foster Bass Bethea Sr. Although I have never met him, nor will I ever be able to, my mother’s memory of him guided me. Foster Sr. was the son of Herbert Bethea and Margaret “Maggie” Ellen Bass, a descendant of William and Cherry Watson. He was kind, selfless, and loyal to those he considered family. My mother would always tell me about his fascination with our family’s rich history. She described how he would always accompany her to every family event and how they would research together hoping to learn more about the Watson Family Legacy. Before my grandfather could teach me about his passions in life, he passed away. Although I was unable to learn about my heritage with him, my mother’s memories of Foster Sr. created an image of who he was and inspires the kind of person that I yearn to be. Foster Sr. held a fundamental belief that family was the most significant aspect of life and that familial bonds could triumph over pain and grief, bring people together, and last the neverending test that is time. To grasp a better understanding of my grandfather, I would beg my mother to share with me her fondest memories of them, many of which centered around the Watson Family Reunion.
She recounted stories of family picnics, cleaning the Antioch Church, and innumerable history lessons. Within all of my mother’s stories, there stood three universal themes: family, loyalty, and most importantly, faith. When united, these elements form what is easily considered one of the most delicate and valuable parts of life: love. These keynotes make me immensely proud of my Watson heritage because they exemplify the idea that even after multiple decades and over vast distances, love perseveres. It does not fade with time, it does not strain as the space between families increases, and it inspires people to never give up on each other. I have witnessed people travel over 2,000 miles just to return to the Antioch Church in Marion County in hopes of reuniting with their loved ones. This commitment to family is what makes me proud of my Watson heritage. The annual Watson Family Reunion began at the Antioch Church in Sellers on August 17, 1904. It is astonishing to see how over 100 years later, we still are committed to being with family. I know without any doubt in my mind that if my grandfather were here today, he would be proud that we continue to embrace our Watson heritage. Although I have never met him, I cannot help but to think of the hymn “God Be With You ‘Til We Meet Again”, because I know that he is waiting for me to join him and the rest of my ancestors in heaven.