Katelyn Umholtz | The Valdosta Daily TimesFive eighth graders in Valdosta City Schools each received $10,000 scholarships during REACH Signing Day. 

VALDOSTA — Five Valdosta City Schools and Lowndes County Schools eighth graders each received $10,000 checks to one day put toward their college education. 

The 10 students were selected as REACH scholars during REACH Week, a state- and local-funded program that gives financial-based college scholarships to promising eighth graders.

County schools selected Jessica Kwak, Lillian Gilder, Keshanna Boatwright, Jacqueline Lopez and Vincent Tabor, and city schools awarded Perla Abad, Caldreonna Berrian, Samuel Hadley, Burnis Williams and Kenneth Gross-Wright.

Students were chosen by a selection committee. County schools held their ceremony Oct. 23, while city schools gave their REACH presentation the following day.

“We are proud to be able to offer these students an opportunity to go to college,” said LaVerne Rome, county schools director of public relations. “It is such an exciting program that opens doors for students who are academically promising but need a little extra help to go to college.”

All 10 students were required to sign a contract during the school system events. Required by the state for each REACH scholar is they must maintain 2.5 grade point average, have good attendance and behavior through middle and high school, meet with their mentors weekly and an academic coach monthly, receive a high school diploma and attend a HOPE-eligible institution in Georgia.

County schools presented a physical $10,000 check and read out students’ goals before signing their contracts.

City schools put together a multimedia package, in which the five students listed their aspirations.

“Talk about changing a community and the life of a student and their family knowing they have that opportunity,” said Scarlet Brown, city schools assistant superintendent. “Our goal of the REACH program is to make sure we provide support and monitor the students and help create a college-going mindset early on.”

The REACH program, which stands for Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen, began as a joint partnership between the state of Georgia and Georgia Institute of Technology in 2012.

Six years ago, only four school systems were part of the REACH program. Now, more than 140 school systems, including city and county schools, held REACH signing days last week.

The city school system has three cohorts of REACH scholars, while the county school system followed shortly behind its neighboring system a year later to put the program in place.

The school systems invited community members to signing-day events, including state Sen. Ellis Black to county schools and Valdosta City Councilwoman Vivian Miller-Cody to city schools. 

Katelyn Umholtz is a reporter with the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256.