Douglas Schools REACH Scholars Recognized

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — Eight promising Douglas County middle-school students have been named Georgia REACH Scholars, signing for scholarships worth up to $10,000 for college.

They are:

• Nana Gardiner, Chapel Hill Middle School
• Amelia Phillips, Fairplay Middle School
• Louis Gutierrez, Factory Shoals Middle School
• De’Anthony Bateman, Mason Creek Middle School
• Hardley Mesidor, Stewart Middle School
• Pedro Lopez Roman, Turner Middle School
• Catherine Rameriz, Yeager Middle School
• Destiny Francis, Chestnut Log Middle/Flex Academy

When these eight students graduate from high school, they will receive up to a $10,000 scholarship — $2,500 each year for up to four years — to be used at a HOPE-eligible Georgia two or four-year college.

“We are thrilled that these eight students will receive all the support they need to be successful in high school and beyond,” said Douglas County School Superintendent Trent North. “They will receive extra mentoring and guidance over the next six years as well as scholarship money, so they can be confident they will be successful in college and will have the financial backing to make their dreams possible.”

Middle-school students sign contracts as part of the REACH program, said Mitzi Teal, who coordinates the program for Douglas County schools. The contracts stipulate keeping a certain grade-point average, having minimal absences and staying out of trouble. Each REACH contract also comes with a volunteer mentor and academic coach to help the student until he or she graduates high school.

Gov. Nathan Deal launched REACH — which stands for Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen — in 2012. It was Georgia’s first public-private needs-based scholarship.

Read more on the Douglas County School System's website.