Release:
Lowndes County Schools Sign Seven REACH Scholars
Lowndes County Schools held a Signing Ceremony for their fourth cohort of eighth grade REACH Scholars. REACH is an acronym for Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen. The REACH program focuses on providing academically promising students with financial assistance to pursue post-secondary opportunities. Many of these students may be the first in their families to attend college. This initiative tries to ensure students a fair chance to be successful in academic pathways beyond high school. For additional support, each scholar is paired with a mentor and a REACH academic coach.
The 2020-2021 REACH Scholars representing Lowndes County Schools are Carissa Reynolds, Hahira Middle School; Sunshyne Simmons, Hahira Middle School; Yesenia Gallegos, Lowndes Middle School; Zanaria Jones, Lowndes Middle School; Shayla Scott, Lowndes Middle School; Jazmyne Abney, Pine Grove Middle School; and Jaylin Carter, Pine Grove Middle School. These scholars represent the graduating class of 2025.
Recently, these eighth-graders participated in a REACH Signing Day Ceremony, held at Rainwater Conference Center. They signed their letter of commitment and pledged to adhere to the REACH Scholars guidelines, which will ensure that each scholar receives a $10,000 college scholarship to a Georgia HOPE- Eligible college or university, with the possibility of those funds being matched and possibly doubled.
Our school system is allotted five REACH Scholars per school year. This year, we named seven scholars as we had two replacement slots available. Locally, we were required to raise $2,000 per REACH Scholar ($10,000). We extend special thanks to The Harley Langdale Jr. Foundation for supporting REACH Georgia.
We also extend thanks to the event speaker, our very own Dr. Tenry Berry, Principal at Clyattville Elementary School. Dr. Berry’s speech inspired everyone in the room, especially our REACH Scholars! He used another version of the acronym REACH: R-Relationships, E-Education, A-Attitude, C-Choices, and H-Help and Hope. We greatly appreciate Dr. Berry’s words of wisdom and his passion to empower others!
For more information about our REACH program or becoming a REACH mentor or donor, please contact LaVerne Rome at 229-245-2250.
