The Rotary Club of Statesboro at their meeting on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, honored 20 accomplished local high school seniors, awarding each a $1,000 college scholarship. The "Service Above Self Scholarships", totaling $20,000, were presented during a ceremony celebrating the students' commitment to community service and their bright futures.
Rotarian Steve Healy emceed the event and, as coordinator of the scholarship committee, expressed his admiration for the students. "It's always a pleasure for me to do this," Healy said, noting, "I'm always so excited to meet the young students that are our future's very bright... You're all really neat, you all work hard and you all really, really try to make the world a better place."
Nineteen of the twenty scholarship recipients were present and spoke individually, sharing insights into their service activities, academic paths, and aspirations, while also thanking those who supported them. One recipient, Madison McCollar, was unable to attend the ceremony due to a class. Kiley Lee was present but did not present remarks.
Statesboro High School
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Brayden Bembry – Volunteered with TopSoccer, toy drives, and the Boys and Girls Club. Plans to attend Georgia Southern and major in exercise science to become a physical therapist. He wants to stay involved locally with service efforts like Feed the Boro.
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Jack Blackmon – Active in leadership through NHS, Beta Club, and SkillsUSA, and participates in his church worship team. Plans to major in construction engineering at Georgia Southern and serve at a Young Life camp in Asheville post-graduation.
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Ava Burton – Involved in Beta Club, National Honor Society, FCCLA, HOSA, FCA, Key Club, and volleyball. Plans to attend the University of Georgia to major in special education and pursue a career as an occupational therapist.
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Marcus Hartwell – Member of NHS and Beta Club, played basketball and soccer. He has volunteered with Special Olympics and Feed the Boro, and plans to attend Kennesaw State to study sports management.
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Ann Parker – Organized events like a fall festival for assisted living residents and choreographed performances for fundraising shows. She teaches ballet and serves in church ministry. Will attend UGA and serve as a summer camp counselor at Rock Eagle 4-H.
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Drew Prosser – Inspired by a family member to pursue optometry, he plans to attend Georgia Southern to major in biology. Thanked the Rotary Club for its support and expressed pride in representing the club’s values.
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Laylah Scarboro – A standout participant in the Rotary speech contest for four years, Laylah is involved in numerous leadership roles including Key Club president, NAACP Youth Council, SGA class president, and the City Youth Council. She teaches music and will major in computer science and minor in music at Georgia Southern.
Southeast Bulloch High School
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Isabelle Ackerly – Logged over 130 hours of service and developed a strong passion for medicine through community involvement. Will attend the University of Georgia to study biochemistry on a pre-med track.
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Isabella Ackerly. DeWayne Grice Corinne Hilde – Volunteered with Foundations Resource Center, soup kitchens, and participated in an international service trip with Samaritan's Purse to Ecuador. Plans to study business management at Georgia Southern.
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Mason McNeely – Helped with post-storm recovery during Hurricane Idalia and coached elementary students in math. Plans to attend Georgia Southern for biochemistry and become an ER doctor. He is also completing an EMT certification.
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Krupa Pandya – Led STEM club efforts and helped establish school teams, also active in Beta Club and NHS. Will attend Georgia Tech to study biomedical engineering with a focus on genetic research.
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Emily Peacock – Served as class president and was active in student council, service clubs, and part-time work. She will attend UGA to major in biology and aims to become a dentist.
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Kiley Lee – Present but did not speak. Plans to attend Georgia Southern.
Portal High School
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April Barnes – Active in FFA and community sports. Plans to major in biomedical sciences at Georgia Southern and pursue pharmacy, inspired by her personal experience with asthma.
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Kinsey Borck – Volunteered through Beta Club and FFA and worked in a daycare caring for toddlers. Will attend Ogeechee Technical College to become a diagnostic medical sonographer.
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Charlee Jenkins – Involved in ministry, Beta Club, and served as a camp counselor at Camp I Am and Fresh Air Home. Plans to study criminal justice at Georgia Southern and become a GBI agent.
Bulloch Academy
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Kaley Cardell – Overcame a childhood hip disease and will attend Truett-McConnell on a basketball scholarship. She plans to study business, become a real estate agent, and speak to youth as a motivational speaker. Also hopes to work in youth ministry.
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Thurgood Johnson – Thanked teachers and coaches for helping him discover his goals. Will attend Morehouse College to study philosophy and political science on the pre-law track, aspiring to make a positive societal impact.
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Wynn Wildes – Grateful for a service-oriented education and upbringing. She will attend UGA to study pharmaceutical sciences and aims to become a pharmacist.
Following the student presentations, Steve Healy reiterated his belief in the students' bright futures and their ongoing potential for service.
The event concluded with a Matt Mathews, Rotary Club of Statesboro President, reflecting on the presentations, particularly noting that many students courageously mentioned their faith despite it not being a requirement. This was seen as a remarkable testament to their character and a source of hope.
The Rotary Club of Statesboro congratulated all the students and their families, looking forward to seeing the positive impact these young leaders will have on their communities.
The club also thanked an annoymous donor who makes these scholarships possible for the club annually.
