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Three rising ninth graders from the Troup County School System have gained eligibility for scholarships through the REACH Georgia (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) scholarship program, according to a TCSS press release. They are Macy Alivia Ogletree from Callaway Middle School, Bryant Xavier Jimenez from Gardner Newman Middle School, and Dasoni Darrell Denson from Long Cane Middle School. 

On Thursday, the students and their parents signed commitments to graduate so they could be eligible to each receive $10,000 in grants for their post-secondary educations.

With the addition of these students, TCSS now has seven REACH scholars, according to Yolanda Stephen, public relations director with the TCSS. Stephen said the other four students are already in high school.

“This upcoming school year, they should be sophomores,” she said.

If they meet program requirements, the students will receive their scholarships after graduating from high school.

“There are some things that they have to do going through their high school careers. They have to maintain good grades, and that’s a 2.5 GPA or better, according to REACH. They also have to be mentored. They have to have good behavior and good attendance at school,” Stephen said.

TCSS is currently looking for seven community member mentors.

Stephen said a mentor could be any community member interested in supporting a student and the school system. Mentors are expected to provide an hour of mentorship a month for the durations of their students’ high school careers.

“And that one hour does not necessarily have to be face-to-face. It could be phone conversations, it could be providing articles in whatever career the student is interested in. It could also be connecting them to a community member or business partner who is over an area like human resources if one of the scholars wanted to go into human resources. There are various ways that a community member could partner for that particular mentorship,” Stephen said.

Anyone interested in becoming a REACH mentor should contact TCSS Secondary

Curriculum Department at (706) 812.7900 or email info@tcss.com for more information.