The Tift County Council on Child Abuse, under the coordination of Lillie McEntyre, president, and Lisa Reinhardt, past president, created the scholarship, which will be administered by the ABAC Foundation.
The Tift County Council on Child Abuse is a volunteer council that raises money to help provide programs and assistance in order to prevent child abuse.
"The Council decided to start a scholarship for Human Services majors at ABAC so they can receive a quality education in the field and go on to pursue careers in which they can help children," Reinhardt said. "The scholarship was set up as a memorial to honor Dorris Garrison Nelson of Tifton for her work with children."
One scholarship will be awarded annually to a graduate of Tift County High School or Tiftarea Academy. The recipient must be a rising ABAC sophomore in the Division of Social Science with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Preference will be given to students majoring in Human Services. The ABAC Scholarship and Awards Committee will select the recipient each year from the applications received based upon recommendations from faculty/advisors in the Division of Social Science. To continue receiving the scholarship, the student must maintain a cumulative Regents' grade point average of 2.5 or higher.
"I feel honored to receive this scholarship," McClain said. "It is actually bittersweet for me because I knew Mrs. Nelson, and I went to school with her son. She was very active in the school and volunteered a lot of her time there. She was also a chaperone on many of our school field trips. Being selected for this scholarship means so much to me because I had the opportunity to know Mrs. Nelson, and I admired her a lot. I also want to thank my mother, Marie Thomas, for supporting me every step of the way."
McClain, who is currently a member of the ABAC Spirit Team, graduated from Tift County High School. After graduation, she plans to earn her bachelor's degree and become a social worker.
ABAC Foundation President Melvin Merrill said the Foundation enjoys a multifaceted service mission to ABAC and the community.
"We are pleased to work with members of the Tift County Council on Child Abuse to achieve their goal and make this scholarship possible," Merrill said. "We thank them for establishing the scholarship and for their dedication to children."
For additional information about the Dorris Garrison Nelson Memorial Scholarship, contact Missy Hutto in ABAC's Office of Development and Alumni Relations at (229) 386-3265.
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