In the News

Scholarships Awarded in Gerontology

The Gerontology Institute at Georgia State University has announced the winners of the 2008 Rice/Early County Scholarship, annually awarded to exceptional high school seniors from Early County who expect to attend Georgia State University. Early County High School graduate Elizabeth Avent and Ashley Tedder, who attended Southwest Georgia Academy, were this year's scholarship recipients. Both are from Blakely.

Both Avent and Tedder aware chosen for their outstanding academic records, strong commitments to their community and an interest in the study of gerontology. The scholarship was established by Charles B. Rice Sr. through the Atlanta-based Charles and Catherine B. Rice Foundation, to encourage students in Early County to pursue a degree at Georgia State University, study gerontology and ideally, return to Early County to assist the growing elderly population. It is a component of the overall Early County 2055 Economic Revitalization Plan, initiated by Rice, which focuses on the development and promotion of Early County.

"Both Ashley and Elizabeth have shown stellar academic achievement and broad interest in their community", said Rice, "I am proud of their hard work and thrilled to be able to award them with this honor."

Each scholarship provides an annual stipend of $10,000, renewable for up to four years, a laptop computer and printer, membership in a professional gerontological society, travel annually to professional meetings in gerontology and study abroad experience to expand the student's understanding of global aging.