The Anniston Star
graduation 2010 Sunday, May 23, 2010
inside: graduates from area schools By Laura Camper
Community Foundation hands out $62,000 in scholarships
liamson, vice president of advancement. The scholarships are started by donors. Some are lcamper@annistonstar.com reserved for students from a particular high Kristin Teague is honored to be one of 19 school, for a student in a particular major or recipients of scholarships awarded by the even a member of a particular church. Community Foundation of Northeast AlaThe particular scholarships that are awardbama, but even more excited to be a recipied from year to year can change. This year, the ent of the Whitney Laine Gallahar Memorial foundation awarded nine scholarships and Scholarship. renewed 10, a total of $62,500. “It was pretty important for me to get it,” “It speaks so much of the donors to continTeague said. “I didn’t care if I got any other ue to fund these scholarships and, hopefully, scholarship. I just wanted that one.” they’ll (the students) return to the community Gallahar was a 2006 graduate of Ohatchee to live and raise their family,” Williamson said. High School who died on Memorial Day just The scholarships are also important for the a year after her graduation. Her parents and students. Many rely on scholarships to make brother, Ricky, Donna and Blake Gallahar, and their educations affordable. grandparents, Travis and Gayle Reaves, creTyler Hubbard, a senior at White Plains ated the scholarship, Gallahar’s friends, class- High School, plans to attend the University of mates and co-workers bolstered it with their Alabama-Birmingham to study pre-medicine. donations. “I’ve wanted to go to UAB as long as I can Although she never told the scholarship remember,” Hubbard said. “I knew they were administrators at the foundation, Teague knew the best medical school around here. … I have and admired Gallahar. Gallahar, a softball and to go to school for 12 years, so every little bit of volleyball player, befriended Teague through money I can get helps.” sports. Teague remained close with the family No matter the reason the donor created the even after Gallahar’s death, and is now dating scholarships, the goal is the same: an investGallahar’s brother. ment in the future of the county. “I never saw her in a bad mood,” Teague “We are growing our future investing in said. “She was a huge role model for people these students and their education,” Williamwhen we were smaller in younger grades.” son said. The $2,500 memorial scholarship that Those students, she said, can bring the skills Gallahar’s family created allows their daughter they learn back to the area and become the to live on in this legacy. Whitney, who attended doctors, nurses, teachers and business people the University of Alabama, was never able to for the next generation. finish her education, but the students who are Students can find a list of the available awarded the scholarship can fulfill that dream scholarships on the foundation website at for themselves. http://yourcommunityfirst.org. That is just one of the scholarships the Contact staff writer Laura Camper at 256foundation awards each year, said Susan Wil235-3545.
2010 scholarship winners Madison Kaitlyn Monday Saks High School; Nathan Sparks Memorial Scholarship; Plans to attend Jacksonville State University
Justin Tyler Robinson Oxford High School; Melanie and Todd Edmondson Scholarship; Plans to attend Huntingdon College
Kristin Teague Ohatchee High School Whitney Laine Gallahar Memorial Scholarship; Plans to attend Jacksonville State University;
Brittnay Bradford Anniston High School; Reverend John Nettles Memorial Scholarship, Cleve Holloway Memorial Scholarship, Dr. Clarence and Juanita Harris Jairrels Scholarship; Plans to attend University of Alabama
Savannah Mellon Oxford High School; Melanie and Todd Edmondson Memorial Scholarship; Plans to attend University of Alabama-Birmingham
Taneika Weaver Anniston High School; Leslie and Mary Ella Scales Scholarship; Plans to attend Auburn University
Tyler Hubbard White Plains High School; Mary Katherine Williamson Memorial Scholarship; Plans to attend the University of Alabama-Birmingham
Courtney Carlisle Photos by Bill Wilson/The Anniston Star
Oxford High School students Savannah Mellon and Justin Tyler Robinson are two recipients of the Melanie and Todd Edmondson Scholarship. Mellon plans to attend UAB, while Robinson plans to attend Huntingdon.
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Alexandria High School; Harry M. and Edel Y. Ayers Scholarship Fund; Plans to attend Jacksonville State University
Jacob Johnson Fort Payne High School; Harry M. and Edel Y. Ayers Scholarship Fund; Plans to attend Jacksonville State University
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