Five local high school students got a leg up on their college education thanks to scholarships from Habersham Electric Membership Corporation. The cooperative paid for the scholarships through reallocated funds from its Washington Youth Tour. Since the tour was canceled this year due to COVID, HEMC officials say they decided to use the money to help students continue their education.
The selected students received scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,000. Four of the recipients attend Habersham Central High School. They are Parker Behrends, Hadden Carswell, Camryn Fricks, and Haydn Tatum. The fifth scholarship went to Anna Paige Barrett of Tallulah Falls School.
A committee of HEMC personnel considered the students’ grade point averages, SAT/ACT scores, academic standing, scholastic honors, and financial need when determining their eligibility.
“We understand that the rising costs of college can cause a great deal of financial stress within a family,” says HEMC President and CEO Bryan Ferguson. “HEMC’s goal is to empower local youth as they pursue their secondary education and further develop their leadership abilities.”
The local scholarships were awarded in conjunction with the Walter Harrison Scholarship program — a statewide program sponsored by Georgia’s electric membership corporations. Behrends’ and Tatum’s applications were also submitted for consideration at the state level.
