News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-4781 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE SEPTEMBER 24, 2008

Stockbridge Student Selected for First Four-Year Scholarship at ABAC

TIFTON – Tanya Rafferty, a freshman Diversified Agriculture major from Stockbridge, has been selected as the recipient of the first four-year scholarship in the history of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

ABAC President David Bridges announced today that Rafferty will receive a Regents Foundation scholarship for the next four years.  The scholarship covers tuition and mandatory fees for four years provided that Rafferty continues to be a full time student and maintains at least a 2.5 grade point average.

“I want to thank Mr. Richard Tucker, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University System of Georgia Foundation, for making this scholarship possible,” Bridges said.  “Offering bachelor’s degree programs at our college and making scholarships of this nature available to students in those programs is a major step in the right direction for ABAC.”

Rafferty said ABAC is the perfect college for her.

“Getting this scholarship is an amazing opportunity for me,” Rafferty said.  “ABAC has everything I could want in a college.  I’m very excited about this school year.”

Rafferty lives in the brand new ABAC Lakeside housing complex on the north shore of Lake Baldwin on the 421-acre ABAC campus.

“I thought at first I might like living off-campus better, but this is much better than living off campus,” the just turned 19-year-old graduate of Luella High School said.  “In fact, living at Lakeside is probably the best thing that has happened since I have been here.”

The daughter of James and Michelle Rafferty has been home only once since the semester began.  Two reasons for that, the friends she has made at ABAC and the fact that her horse came to college with her.

Rafferty said horses have been her passion since she was very young.  She stables her horse, Rio, on campus in the conveniently located ABAC stables.

“I trained him (Rio) from rock bottom,” Rafferty said.  “He’s quite the character.  I’m going to enter him in the Western Pleasure class horse show we’re having.”

Rafferty is already involved in the Ag Business Club and the Cattlemen’s Club at the college.  After four years at ABAC in the new Diversified Agriculture degree, she hopes to convert her diploma into a career running a ranch.

“I don’t think I could handle an office job every day,” Rafferty said.  “I’ll definitely do something outdoorsy.”

Diversified Agriculture is one of two bachelor’s degree programs offered by ABAC.  The other is Turfgrass and Golf Course Management.

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