Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Foundation South awarded over 100 students with scholarships this academic year to help them complete their education and develop workplace skills. The scholarship funds were donated by very generous people, organizations, and businesses and the Foundation appreciates that technical college education is so highly valued in this community.
 
Scholarships cover some of the students’ educational expenses, offsetting some of their out of pocket costs.  Some students received scholarships that are specifically named by the donor and other students received unnamed scholarships are provided through the Foundation’s unrestricted fund. In both cases, students must meet a specified set of criteria, including satisfactory academic progress, in order to be awarded scholarship funds.
 
Graduating with greater skills to use in the workplace makes a meaningful difference in the lives of students, their families, our community and businesses.  Receiving this special financial assistance can make a significant difference between a student graduating and having to delay or end their workforce education.
 
Recipients of named scholarships for 2015-2016 include Kimesha Felton (Mary Catherine Coffee Memorial Scholarship), Meagan Allison Rayburn (Berrien CLCP Scholarship), Hannah Benefield (Ben Copeland Scholarship), Sarah Ganas (Ben Copeland Scholarship), Candace Belli (Ben Copeland Scholarship), Jonathan Ramirez (Ben Copeland Scholarship), Kathleen Sixberry (David Apperson Memorial Scholarship), Ivy Dukes (COS) – Carolyn Zeigler Memorial Scholarship), Kayla Zachery (Adel-Cook Chamber Scholarship), and Brenda Brown (Johnson Distributing ‘Go Back’ Scholarship), Ashley Tillery (Johnson Distributing ‘Go Back’ Scholarship).
 
Scholarships were also awarded to Laquan Lawrence (VHS Alumni Scholarship), Guy Farmer (CJB Industries Scholarship), Ivy Dukes (Carolyn Zeigler Memorial Scholarship), Jennifer Vitatoe (Brogdon EMS Exam Scholarship and Benjamin James Herron Memorial Scholarship), Andi Dickerson (Adel Kiwanis Scholarship), Julio Perez-Arroyo (Clarence Smith Memorial Scholarship), and Luke Stonecypher (Johnson Distributing Truck Driving Scholarship).  Nearly 100 additional students received assistance with books or tuition through unnamed scholarships.
 
Shakia Locklear, a Health Information Management Technology student, received a scholarship from the unrestricted fund and stated with an observable display of heartfelt gratitude, “The Foundation helped me with books so I could stay in school and go to class. I amvery thankful for that.” The staff and trustees of the Foundation share this appreciation for the many donors who make it possible for students to succeed in college.