ATLAS
MINISTRY ANNOUNCES THE 2016
LAWTON
FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
ATLAS Ministry is pleased to announce the recipients of the first
Lawton Family Scholarships, Miss Tionna Thornton and Mr. Darrell Evans, both
upcoming graduates of Greene County High School. The awards were announced at
the Honors Night program on Thursday, May 12. The winners were selected from
among a strong group of candidates after an initial application review, then
interviews with the selection committee as well as the Lawton Family.
Ms. Thornton plans to major in nursing with a concentration
in Women’s Studies to pursue her career as a Neonatal/OBGYN Nurse Practitioner.
She has been accepted at GA Southern University, Augusta University, and GA
State University; however, her dream is to go to Spelman College. Tionna is a
strong leader, serving as vice-president of her senior class, president of the
Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), and Vice-President of the local
chapter of Distributive Educational Clubs of America (DECA). She also excels
academically, ranking among the top five in her graduating class. Tionna says
that she likes helping people get things done to be successful. On her own, she
mentored a group of girls at Greensboro Elementary and enjoyed seeing them
transition to middle school. She says that hard work is teaching her
responsibility and that she has learned to prioritize her time, which sometimes
means saying “no” to friends when they want to hang out.
Mr. Evans has been accepted to GA College and State
University in Milledgeville and plans to major in Business Management. His goal
is to own and operate his own business, ultimately in Greene County. Darrell
exhibits leadership qualities in a variety of areas in which he has been active
– in ROTC as Flight Sergeant, Flight Commander, Squadron Commander, and Group
Commander; in student organizations like DECA, in which he served as President;
and in his church, where he serves as an Associate Youth Pastor. Darrell has
maintained a strong academic record, placing on the AB Honor Roll since 9th
grade. He ranks among the top ten in his graduating class. Darrell says that he
is the first person in his family to attend college, and he is excited about
the journey and about the mentorship that the Lawton Family will provide.
The Lawton Family Scholarship Fund is a significant
endowment generously provided by Greg and Anna Lawton. The Fund is a minimum
ten-year commitment that will award qualified students in Greene County the
opportunity to pursue their college or vocational dreams. Students will be able to fulfill their educational
requirements for up to four years if they continue to meet the obligations of
the scholarship. The Lawtons have established the direction and purpose of
their Scholarship Fund, which is to
inspire hope, build futures, and transform the lives of teens in Greene County.
The Lawton Family Scholarship Fund is a way in which Greg and Anna
Lawton feel they can provide special support to the community they have come to
call home. They know the benefits of education and have had them instilled in
their own family for generations. “A quality education is one of our family’s
core values,” the Lawtons assert, “and we feel blessed to connect with students
in Greene County where this Scholarship Fund can inspire them to ASPIRE to pursue their educational goals
without undue financial burden. Our dream is to have many LAWTON SCHOLARS
thrive with their educational dreams and pursue careers that positively impact
their lives and the future communities where they choose to reside. Our family
intends to be involved as Mentors to these individuals during their educational
journey and future work related roles.”
The Lawton Family Scholarship Fund is administered through
ATLAS Ministry, which has been an active part of Greene County since 2006.
ATLAS is a Christ-centered community resource that works with families who are
committed to setting their lives on a healthy and productive path.
