Fannin County, Texas -- A ceremony was held Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at Bonham City Hall to recognize this year's recipients of the Fannin County Commissioners Court Scholarship Program. Nine scholarships were awarded, with one scholarship winner selected from each of the nine school districts in Fannin County. Eight of the recipients receive $1,000 scholarships and the top winner earns a $2,000 scholarship.
The $1,000 scholarship winners include Cierra Crosby (Fannindel ISD), Amanda Davis (Trenton ISD), Carson Kinkade, Sam Rayburn ISD, Ashley Melugin (Savoy ISD), Brady Nichols (Bonham ISD), Ethan Norwood (Ector ISD), Ethan Price (Honey Grove ISD), Brex Schur (Leonard ISD).
The top scholarship winner for the 2016-2017 school year is Fallon Hilliard (Dodd City ISD).
The scholarships are sponsored by The GEO Group, the global leader in evidence-base rehabilitation which happens to operate Fannin County Jail. The GEO Group's vast resources include management of approximately 100 correctional facilities in the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa. Since 2011, The GEO Group Foundation has donated $3.1 million to student scholarships.
"We appreciate everything you do for Fannin County," Fannin County Judge Spanky Carter told Ray Thompson, an employee of GEO Group and warden at Fannin County Jail.
"When the county asked us to provide these scholarships, we were absolutely behind it," remarked Warden Thompson.
"I think it is really a great scholarship," said Judge Carter. "We award eight $1,000 scholarships and one $2,000 scholarship, yet one school had only one applicant and three schools had no applicant. It concerns me that more people today won't take the initiative to be great."
Turning to the scholarship recipients, Judge Carter continued, "I want you to do something great for yourself, for your family and for Fannin County. I want you to know you are the cream of the crop and you can do anything you make up your mind to be. Dream it, believe it and then go achieve it."
photos by Allen Rich