Diamond Resorts' Gaylord Perry Scholarship Awarded To Limestone Student-Athlete

During a special ceremony on Monday, Aug. 26, Brian Forbes, a student-athlete at Limestone College, was awarded the Gaylord Perry Scholarship, which will fully cover his college costs this academic year. The award was made possible through the institution’s partnership with Diamond Resorts. 

Named in honor of the head coach who started Limestone College’s baseball program, the Gaylord Perry Scholarship is awarded annually by the school’s Scholarship Award Committee to one or more members of the Saints baseball team. Perry, a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, attended the inaugural scholarship presentation inside Limestone’s Hall of Fame Room, along with Tony Walker from Diamond Resorts.

Also taking part in the scholarship announcement were Limestone’s President Dr. Darrell Parker and Saints head baseball coach Chris Wiley.

A native of Rocky Point, NY, Forbes is a member of the Saints baseball team who transferred to Limestone after recently graduating from Herkimer County Community College. Last season, he was named an NCAA Division III First Team All-American. Participating in the Junior College World Series, Forbes ranked 32nd in the nation with a batting average of .433. He finished fourth in the nation with 15 home runs and ranked sixth nationally with 66 runs batted in.

As part of its internship program with Limestone, Diamond Resorts is providing an annual gift to fund scholarships to be awarded to one or more members of the baseball program, as selected by the Scholarship Committee.

Currently a junior, Forbes will also be eligible for the scholarship’s consideration next year.

Perry was inducted into the Limestone Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998. And along with Walker, Diamond Resorts Chief Executive Officer Mike Flaskey was a member of Perry’s first baseball team at Limestone in 1988. Flaskey was inducted into the Limestone Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.

Diamond Resorts, a global leader in the hospitality, vacation ownership and entertainment industries, announced in January a new professional internship program at Limestone. The program, which is open to all junior and seniors, offers students the opportunity to get on-the-job training via semester-long internships. 

To date, 20 students have been selected to participate in the internship program, with 13 who joined the Diamond team over the summer and seven who will intern this fall. The student interns can gain experience in a number of different areas, such as quality assurance, sales, human resources, and global support, among others.

In addition, one student was selected as the winner of the Diamond Marketing Mentorship Program (DMMP), which is a nine-month, rigorous apprenticeship designed to prepare young graduates for a potential position of Marketing Manager (or comparable) at a Diamond Resorts Marketing & Sales location. The DMMP offers more intense training than the regular internship and in addition to preparing the young graduates for a position in their chosen field, DMMP is meant to position them as leaders.

Each student will have an assigned mentor and will either be based at a Diamond Resorts property – with some locations including Orlando, Palm Springs, Hawaii and Virginia Beach – or headquartered at one of the company’s corporate offices. Successful completion of the internship will not only earn students a full semester’s worth of credits, they will also be guaranteed a position with Diamond Resorts after graduation. 

ABOUT DIAMOND RESORTS

Diamond Resorts offers destinations, events and experiences to help members make a habit of breaking from the routine. From unforgettable getaways to exclusive concert series to VIP receptions and dinners, members turn to Diamond to recharge, reconnect and remind each other what matters most. Our focus on quality resorts, customer service and flexibility means members can return to a favorite resort, book a cruise to explore new countries or attend a once-in-a-lifetime event with the same level of confidence and anticipation. With access to a world of entertainment and activities, a Diamond membership ensures that people are always looking forward to vacation.

To learn more about Diamond Resorts, visit www.DiamondResorts.com.

ACCOMPANYING PHOTO

Those on hand for the scholarship announcement included (left to right) Limestone head baseball coach Chris Wiley, Diamond Resorts’ Tony Walker, student-athlete Brian Forbes, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and former Limestone head coach Gaylord Perry, and Limestone President Dr. Darrell Parker. (Photo by Limestone College Department of Communications & Marketing)