Denerick Simpson, a Moultrie native, is one of 13 inaugural recipients of a $25,000 scholarship from Chick-fil-A.

ATLANTA — Denerick Simpson, a Moultrie native, is one of 13 inaugural recipients of a $25,000 scholarship through the Chick-fil-A Community Scholars Program.

Chick-fil-A has long provided scholarships for its team members, but the new program targets community service-minded recipients who are not affiliated with the restaurant, according to a press release from the company.

Simpson is a graduate student at Savannah State University. In addition to being a full-time student, he’s also caretaker of his mother and older brother, the press release said. He founded several pre-professional societies at Savannah State University and led several mentoring programs in the Savannah area for local schools. With his dual public administration and business degrees, Simpson plans to become a general dentist to serve underserved populations and eventually teach within higher education.

Chick-fil-A, Inc. has awarded more than $25 million in scholarships in 2023, investing in higher education for more than 13,000 restaurant Team Members and 13 community service-minded students across the U.S. and Canada, the restaurant chain said.

“Investing in the education and development of future leaders is one of the greatest opportunities we have to care for others,” said Andrew T. Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A, Inc. “We are inspired by this year’s recipients and are honored to support their aspirations to further their education, achieve their personal goals and positively impact their communities.”

This year, Chick-fil-A celebrates the 50th anniversary of its scholarship giving, which has helped over 93,000 restaurant Team Members pursue academic goals and further their career opportunities since 1973, the press release said. Additionally, Chick-fil-A announced the inaugural class of the Chick-fil-A Community Scholars program. Thirteen scholarships of $25,000 were awarded to community service-minded leaders across the country who are not directly affiliated with Chick-fil-A, Inc. or a Chick-fil-A restaurant.

The Chick-fil-A Community Scholars program is an expansion of existing Chick-fil-A education initiatives and an extension of Chick-fil-A’s corporate social responsibility commitment to care for people and communities by providing service-minded students of any age with opportunities to help them pursue their academic passions. For more information about the Chick-fil-A Community Scholars program, full eligibility requirements and how to apply, please visit chick-fil-a.com/communityscholars.