2018 Bent Tree Foundation Scholarship Recipients
By Debbie Davis
On Sunday, April 22, 2018 the Bent Tree Foundation held a reception at Club Tamarack to honor 19 Pickens High School senior scholarship recipients and 11 teacher grant recipients from five Pickens County schools. The Bent Tree Foundation, in partnership with the Bent Tree Tennis Community, awarded $19,000 in scholarships with funds the Foundation raised through donations, wine tasting events, Longest Day of Golf Tournaments and FATZ pancake breakfasts. The Bent Tree Tennis Community raise their scholarship funds with very successful tennis tournaments supported by many enthusiastic sponsors. The scholarship recipients were accompanied by their parents and family members at the reception. Jesse Hunter, Chairman of the Bent Tree Foundation, recognized each scholarship recipient for their hard work and dedication to their educational aspirations and goals. Also present were special guests Mitch Henson, BTCI President; David Stone and members of the Bent Tree Tennis Community.
Foundation scholarships were awarded to the following graduates of Pickens High School: 1) Caleb Lambert, a Bent Tree resident, (University of West Georgia); 2) Alyssa Couture (Georgia State University); 3) Christopher Couture (Middle Georgia State University; 4) Brittany Neese (Kennesaw State University); 5) Claire Seabolt (Kennesaw State University); 6) Autumn Andrews (University of North Georgia); 7) Summer Andrews (Kennesaw State University; and 8) Jackson Hodge (Kennesaw State University). Two designated scholarships requiring attendance to the University of North Georgia were awarded to 1) Megan Stancil, a Bent Tree resident, sponsored and funded by Colin and Sheila Thompson in honor of their sons, Christopher C. Thompson and Stephen W. Thompson, both alumni of the University of North Georgia; and 2) Nicolette Tucker, sponsored and funded by Martha B. Stephens in honor of her sister, Linda Brown August, a former University of North Georgia professor. Four scholarships were awarded and funded to 1) Hannah Ballard (Georgia Institute of Technology/University of Pennsylvania/Columbia University); 2) Joseph Angelisanti (Kennesaw State University); 3) Dalton Crowe (Georgia Institute of Technology); and 4) Olivia Moore (Georgia Institute of Technology) by Nancy Davis, in memory of her husband Dr. Monte Davis, Professor Emeritus at Georgia Institute of Technology. One scholarship was awarded and funded by residents of the Bent Tree Community and the Bent Tree Foundation to Acacia Worley (University of Georgia) in honor of Wayne and Vicki Wilson, former residents of the Bent Tree Community, for their dedication and continued support of the Bent Tree Foundation missions.
David Stone, Chair of the Bent Tree Tennis Community, in partnership with the Foundation awarded four scholarships to the following students: 1) Ashley Cox (University of Georgia; 2) Kendal Avery (University of North Georgia); 3) Payton Avery (University of North Georgia); and 4) Blue Goodman (Kennesaw State University).
Jesse Hunter, Chairman of the Bent Tree Foundation, also recognized the eleven teachers from five Pickens County schools for their teacher/school grants which were awarded in September, 2017 and whose specific information appeared in an ECHO article last Fall.
The Bent Tree Foundation was established in 2009 and with its partners has awarded $183,395 in student scholarships and teacher/school grants to our Pickens County students and schools. The Bent Tree Foundation would like to thank all of the many volunteers and donors for helping our schools expand educational opportunities for our young people. Those who wish to join us in this endeavor may do so by going to our website, www.benttreefoundation.org, to find information on tax-deductible donation opportunities. The Bent Tree Foundation holds fund-raising projects throughout the year. We thank you for your past support and need your future support as well to further the Foundation’s mission regarding student scholarships and teacher/school grants.
Photography: Sheila Thompson