Posted in NewsPosted by East Lake FoundationPosted on

Eight Graduates Receive Ann and Tom Cousins Scholarships

Students Will Attend Georgia Colleges and Universities

 

Eight graduating seniors are the newest recipients of the annual Ann and Tom Cousins Scholarships, presented by the East Lake Foundation.

The 2013 winners are:

  • Nyesha Agee, Maynard Jackson High School, attending the University of Georgia
  • Jay Brown, Mays High School, attending either Kennesaw State University or Gordon College
  • Angell Green, Woodward Academy, attending Georgia State University
  • Johnny Jones, Grady High School, attending Georgia Southern University
  • George Martin, Grady High School, attending Georgia Gwinnett College
  • Areana Pate, Mays High School, attending Valdosta State University
  • Amber Person, The Darlington School, attending Mercer University
  • Montavious Wright, Grady High School, attending Georgia Southern University

Several of the recipients will be the first in their families to pursue higher education. Each of the eight scholars has been active in East Lake Foundation’s CREW (Creating Responsible, Educated, Working) Teens program during their high school years.  The CREW Teens program is an after-school academic support program that has helped more than 400 East Lake teens complete high school and prepare for higher education and careers.   The scholarship winners’ anticipated majors range from pharmacy and political science to physical therapy, market management, psychology and electrical engineering.

In addition to their academic achievements, each of these students is active in their schools, participating in activities including Beta Club, National Honor Society, Student Government Association, robotics teams, engineering clubs, music and dance programs and varsity sports.  In addition, several have worked part-time or summer jobs, founded their own community organizations or participated in dual enrollment or summer programs at the college level.

As part of their CREW Teens experience, students visit local colleges and universities and several of the scholarship winners said they “fell in love with” their respective college choices during those visits.

A total of 49 students have received the Ann and Tom Cousins Scholarships since the honors were first awarded in 2008. These scholarships are designed to assist the most distinguished Charles R. Drew Charter School alumni as they work to earn a bachelor’s degree.  Winners are selected based on academic performance, leadership and community service.  Atlanta developer Cousins founded East Lake Foundation in 1995 to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty in the city’s East Lake neighborhood.

About the East Lake Foundation

Founded in 1995 on the belief that everyone deserves a chance to succeed, the East Lake Foundation (www.eastlakefoundation.org) collaborates with public and private organizations to provide tools that enable Atlanta’s East Lake residents to build a better future through mixed-income housing, education and community wellness. This approach to building a strong community not only helps break the cycle of poverty, but creates a place where people of all ages and incomes choose to live. East Lake has become a model for holistic community revitalization programs across the country.