From left, Rebecca Amerson, CREA Membership Chairperson; Betty Smith, CREA Secretary; Karen Hawley, CREA President; Reinhardt University President Dr. Kina S. Mallard; and Jean Cantrell, CREA Treasurer. Photo by Jeff Reed.
Cherokee County School District students who plan to be teachers and attend Reinhardt University will be the recipients of a scholarship thanks to those who have devoted their lives to education.
The Cherokee Retired Educators Association (CREA) made a generous donation of $3,000 June 23 to Reinhardt University President Dr. Kina Mallard to be awarded to a CCSD graduate who attends Reinhardt University’s Price School of Education.
“The Georgia Retired Educators Association and the Cherokee Retired Educators Association’s motto is fellowship, support and service. Part of our service and support is to give back to our community by volunteering and funding various organizations,” said Karen Hawley, CREA President. “We give to Reinhardt because we consider it our very own University and are honored that it is part of the Cherokee community. We select the Price School of Education due to wanting to further our profession for the future.”
Hawley is a retired teacher who also served as principal of Liberty Elementary School and Freedom Elementary School in Canton. She teaches a class on ethics for teachers at Reinhardt.
For the past 14 years, the retired educators association has provided scholarships to students attending Reinhardt University. The first donation when the scholarship was created was $500, and it has steadily increased over the years. Funding for the scholarship is provided by CREA members and CREA sponsor Ned Castleberry.
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be admitted to the Price School of Education, maintain a GPA of 3.75 and be a Cherokee County resident. Faculty votes on the recipients in August, and the awarded students attend the CREA meeting in December to be introduced and give thanks.
