MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Kiwanis Club of Moultrie funds three scholarships for Colquitt County High School graduates. This year’s recipients were saluted at a recent meeting of the club.

The William B. Withers Memorial Scholarship is presented to a student who has proven to be an outstanding leader. Bobby Mitchell has a long resume of leadership and service primarily through his involvement in FFA and 4-H. 

Mitchell has served as an officer five of his seven years in FFA and is currently serving as the president of one of the largest, most active FFA chapters in the nation. He has competed in many Career Development Events including Agricultural Electrification, Agricultural Mechanics, Meat Judging, Wildlife Management, and Forestry. 

Mitchell found his love when he started electrical wiring in his eighth grade agriculture class. He said the thrill of connecting the colorful wires and transferring electricity to a light or outlet was powerful for him. He continued to develop those skills in class and after school and ultimately won state competitions in electrical wiring and agricultural mechanics. He gained valuable skills that he has been able to use in the workplace and to teach friends and coworkers.  

In 4-H, Mitchell held officer positions and competed in public speaking competitions. He also served as a 4-H STEM Ambassador, teen leader, and competed at the state level in the Engineering and Mechanics Competition. 

Participation in Leadership Colquitt County helped Mitchell to learn more about his community and to develop as a leader. Mitchell is a member of Lakeview Baptist Church where he has worked on service projects including hurricane relief and helping elderly church members. He has volunteered at the Store House at Heritage Church and worked in the Expo Garden with Farmer Fredo to benefit the Colquitt County Food Bank. He assisted with set-up for the Spring Fling Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast. 

Ag teacher Will Burt said that Mitchell shows maturity and professionalism beyond his age. He describes him as the student every teacher desires to have in his classroom. 

Bobby Mitchell is the son of John Mitchell.  

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The Elsie Creech Memorial Scholarship is given to a student who has demonstrated the ability to undertake college work and participate in extracurricular activities. Gabe Horne has been a member of FFA, FCCLA, and Partnership for Success since ninth grade. He served in officer positions in FCCLA and PFS. 

In addition, he has played on the Packer baseball team since seventh grade and has proven himself as a leader on and off the field. Horne was recently named 2nd Team All-region Designated Hitter for his senior season performance. 

While many find it difficult to balance a varsity level sport, extracurricular activities, and academics, Gabe has figured out how to put all the pieces together. He has volunteered with the Humane Society and participates in service projects through Sha Missions with his church youth group. Some of those projects include delivering food, toy drives, and working at the soup kitchen.  

Horne is a graduate of Leadership Colquitt County and credits the program with helping to develop his leadership skills and knowledge of his community. 

Social studies teacher, Amy Dalton, shared that while Horne’s accomplishments are impressive, she is most impressed by his humility and kindness. She said he is especially kind to students with disabilities and students who come from difficult circumstances. 

Horne is ranked in the top 10% of his class, and his teachers express confidence that he will be successful in whatever endeavor he chooses to pursue. 

Gabe Horne is the son of Chad and Amanda Horne and the grandson of Kiwanian Gene West. He continues the family tradition of earning a Kiwanis scholarship – both his mother, Amanda (West) Horne, and uncle, Joey West, received Kiwanis scholarships in high school. 

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The Nita Belle Scarbrough Memorial Scholarship is presented to a student who has achieved exemplary grades and test scores while participating in extracurricular activities. Cady Suber’s high school involvement includes HOSA, Partnership for Success, Key Club, and Y-Lead. 

In HOSA, Suber served as an officer and helped to plan, organize and lead meaningful club meetings that would be beneficial to students aspiring to careers in healthcare. 

Her service activities include volunteer work at the hospital, Trick or Treat for Unicef, and volunteering at the Expo in the information booths, but her greatest joy comes from service projects aimed at helping special needs students. In Y-Lead, Suber participated in sessions focused on team building, leadership development, and quality interactions with Special Olympics Athletes. In PFS, she enjoyed getting to read to and spend quality time with special needs students and then getting to participate with the students at the Special Olympics games.  

Suber has completed her service while taking a rigorous course load including many AP and Dual Enrollment college courses. She has maintained a GPA of 99.019, and she is ranked in the top 5% of her class. 

In addition to her school and volunteer activities, Suber enjoys working for Darrell Griner, a Kiwanian, at Griner’s Jewelry. 

Suber has shown that she has developed the skills needed to balance many demands on her time and attention, and those skills will benefit her greatly as she transitions to college and  career. 

Cady Suber is the daughter of Cindy Chambers and Scott Suber.