Alma Bowen 770-724-9018 

39 students awarded Georgia National Guard Scholarships 

Thirty-nine Georgia high school students have been awarded Georgia National Guard Scholarships, and were congratulated by Gov. Sonny Perdue. The outstanding students are recipients of full four-year military scholarships to North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega. 

In the rotunda of the state Capitol, Perdue reminded the students of the important responsibility of military service and expressed his desire to see each student succeed. 

Family members and legislators who had nominated them for the scholarships accompanied the students to the Atlanta awards ceremony. Also present were officials from the Georgia National Guard, North Georgia College & State University (NGC&SU), and the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC), which administers the scholarships.

This year is the 23rd year of the Georgia National Guard scholarships, which pay tuition, room and board, books, fees, and uniforms. To date, 550 students have benefited from the program, and the total cash value of the awards exceeds $7.5 million. 

The thirty-nine recipients were chosen from 60 applicants. Selection committees, which interviewed each applicant, included representatives from the National Guard, the university, and the commission. 

"All Georgians should be proud of these outstanding young men and women. They have worked hard to win this award, and now they will have the opportunity to earn a first-rate education at one of our nation's most prestigious military universities," Nickel said. 

Others addressing the students were Brigadier General Terry Nesbitt, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard; Nathaniel Hansford, president of NGC&SU; state Representative Amos Amerson, a graduate of North Georgia College who retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel to come back and join the staff of the school; Colonel (Ret.) James T. "Tom" Palmer, commandant of cadets at NGC&SU; and Colonel Billy Wells, professor of military science at NGC&SU. 

David Poythress, adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard, was scheduled as a featured speaker but was unable to attend because of the escalated call-up of National Guard units across Georgia and throughout the United States. 

Students who received the Georgia National Guard scholarship awards, their high school, and the legislator who made it possible for them were: 

• Thomas Andris, Peachtree City, McIntosh High School, State Rep. David Lucas, House District 105 

• Ryne Asher, Atlanta, North Springs High School, State Rep. Wendell Willard, House District 40 

• Blake Baxter, Hull, Commerce High School, State Rep. Chris Elrod, House District 25 

• Charles Benson, Albany, Westover High School, Sen. Michael Meyer von Bremen, Senate District 12 

• Richard Bonnell, Woodstock, Sequoyah High School in Canton, State Rep. J. Calvin Hill, House District 16 

• David Buckner, Woodstock, Cherokee High School in Canton, State Rep. Chip Rogers, House District 15 

• Jonathan Caylor, Chatsworth, Murray County High School, State Rep. Craig Brock, House District 5 

• Mark Coyle, Grovetown, Greenbrier High School in Evans, Sen. Joseph Brush, Senate District 24 

• Christopher Davis, Lumber City, Robert Toombs Christian Academy in Lyons, State Rep. Greg Morris, House District 120 

• Truett Floyd, Conyers, Heritage High School, State Rep. Barbara Bunn, House District 63 

• Glendon Frye, Alpharetta, North Springs High School in Atlanta, State Rep. Wendell Willard, House District 40 

• Frances Greenway, Guyton, South Effingham High School, State Rep. Ann Purcell, House District 122

• Joshua Heaton, Bloomingdale, South Effingham High School in Guyton, State Rep. Ann Purcell, House District 122 

• Ryan Heins, Blairsville, Union County High School, Sen. Carol Jackson, Senate District 50 

• Travis Holmes, McDonough, Union Grove High School, State Rep. John Lunsford, House District 85, Post 2 

• Christopher Huber, Lawrenceville, Collins Hill High School, Suwanee, State Rep. Mike Coan, House District 67, Post 1 

• Matthew Hunter, Lilburn, Parkview High School, State Rep. Scott Dix, House District 70, Post 2 

• Mindy Jarrett, Barnesville, Lamar County High School, State Rep. Curtis Jenkins, House District 93 

• Christopher Jordan, Atlanta, North Springs High School, State Rep. Wendell Willard, House District 40

• Josiah Kimbal, Rincon, South Effingham High School in Guyton, State Rep. Ann Purcell, House District 122 

• Jonathan King, Zebulon, Pike County High School, State Rep. Mack Crawford, House District 91 

• Leonard Manning, Martinez, Lakeside High School in Evans, State Rep. Ben Harbin, House District 80 

• Mark Mooring, Rome, Darlington High School, Sen. Preston W. Smith, Senate District 52 

• Michael Murphy, Calhoun, Calhoun High School, State Rep. Tom Graves, House District 10 

• Adam Nored, Dahlonega, Lumpkin County High School, State Rep. Amos Amerson, House District 9 

• Patrick Parris, Trenton, Dade County High School, Sen. Jeff Mullis, Senate District 53 

• Rachel Phillips, Columbus, Columbus High School, State Rep. Chip Rogers, House District 15 

• Jessica Roberts, Hephzibah, Hephzibah High School, State Rep. Ben Harbin, House District 80 

• Richard Roop, Guyton, South Effingham High School, State Rep. Ann Purcell, House District 122 

• Michael Rowan, Waycross, Ware County High School, State Rep. Michael Boggs, House District 145 

• Dustin Shoupe, Loganville, Loganville High School, State Rep. Len Walker, House District 71, Post 1 

• Bryan Shue, Macon, Central High School, State Rep. Kenneth Birdsong, House District 104 

• Jenna Simmons, Milledgeville, Baldwin High School, Sen. Faye Smith, Senate District 25 

• Levi Smith, Augusta, Cross Creek High School, State Rep. Ben Harbin, House District 80 

• Michael Jarred Stevens, Breman, Breman High School, State Rep. Bill Heath, House District 18

• Kevin Trimble, Lilburn, Brookwood High School, Snellville, State Rep. John Douglas, House District 73 

• John Venuti, South Augusta, Cross Creek High School in Augusta, State Rep. Ben Harbin, House District 80 

• Brian Wells, Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald High School, Sen. Rooney Bowen, Senate District 13 

• Elizabeth Whitmire, Ft. Oglethorpe, Lakeview High School, State Rep. Ron Forster, House District 3, Post 1 

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