Members of the Cherokee Retired Educators Association made a donation presentation June 28 to Reinhardt President Dr. Kina Mallard, center, for education student scholarships. Pictured, from left, making the donation are: Dr. Susan Buice, CREA President Karen Hawley, Carol Woran, Kathy Brown, Marlene Harrington and Jean Cantrell. Photo by Jeff Reed
Cherokee County School District students who plan to be educators and attend Reinhardt University will be the recipients of a scholarship later this summer thanks to those who have devoted their lives to teaching.
The Cherokee Retired Educators Association made a generous donation of $2,500 June 29 to Reinhardt University President Dr. Kina Mallard to be awarded to a CCSD graduate who attends Reinhardt University’s Price School of Education.
“It’s an honor for the members of the Cherokee Retired Educators Association to give a small gesture of money to help in some way instill the giving attitude toward our incoming teachers in our school system,” said Karen Hawley, president of the Cherokee Retired Educators Association. “We always ask that this be given to a former Cherokee County student, and we have enjoyed over the past few years it being given to students to use and then those students come back into the school system in Cherokee County and work. It is very gratifying to see it come to fruition.”
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 13 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.
“Our RU Price School of Education faculty members recognize that the Cherokee Retired Educators Association encourages our students to become educators. Through the generosity and extraordinary level of support from the CREA, our scholarship recipients are provided a greater opportunity to meet their educational goals,” said Dr. Cindy Kiernan, dean of the Price School of Education. “We are excited about our growing partnership with the Cherokee County School District and the fact that Cherokee retired educators are a part of this partnership assists us in our production of highly effective future teachers. We are truly thankful for the work of CREA.”
CREA members in attendance at the check presentation to Dr. Mallard were Hawley, Dr. Susan Buice (president-elect), Marlene Harrington (former president), Carol Woran and Jean Cantrell.
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.
