Posted on Friday, February 05, 2021
Every first weekend in February, the best and brightest of high school seniors from around the country gather to participate in the college’s Presidential Scholarship celebration.
Although the pandemic has moved the event online this year, there is still much to applaud, said Joseph Miller, Vice President for Enrollment.
“We have invited the top 20% of our admitted class, who are eligible for either a Founders or Fellows scholarship based on their academic high school GPAs,” he said. “These are the cream of the crop, the students everyone wants to have.”
Miller said the event has been around for years but has been redesigned with a new focus.
“We used to call it a competition, but that didn’t capture the true essence of what we are doing,” he said. “It really is a celebration because these students have already accomplished so much just to be invited.”
The top honor, the Presidential Learning and Living Scholarship, is awarded annually to two applicants, and provides full tuition, fees, room and board. The Presidential Learning Scholarship is given to four students and covers tuition and fees.
“These are followed by a cascade of other levels of academic awards,” Miller said. “Students aren’t allowed to stack the Presidential Scholar scholarships, but they can be added to other academic scholarships they are offered.”
The program has been a benchmark for many things, he said.
“It comes halfway into the admission cycle as we begin to build the incoming fall class,” he said. “It is a great way to lay a strong foundation for that new class.”
Almost 75% of scholarship participants decide to attend the college in the fall, he said.
Over the years, the format has changed a bit.
“It used to be held over two days,” Miller said. “The students and their families would arrive on Friday for a welcome dinner, and Saturday was a very intensive days of essays and interviews. It was exhausting for the students and families who attended.”
As the program grew from about 60 attendees in 2010 to almost 150 in recent years, tweaks were necessary.
“Students were required to write a reflective essay on one of the college’s core values,” he said. “We provided them the topic before the event. This year, the theme is civility.”
But with the event going virtual this year, even more changes were required.
“The students were asked to write their essays ahead of time and submit it for a faculty review before the virtual interview sessions,” said Nicole Maddox, Director of Admissions.
Saturday’s event will begin with a virtual welcome before participants move into Zoom interviews with faculty members. Afterward they will be directed to “break-out rooms” where they can get to know each other and current students.
After the day, attendees will be mailed Panther Packs that will include an LC T-shirt, mask and certificate of participation.
Maddox, who started work in November, said working on the Presidential Scholar Celebration has been a wonderful way to be introduced to her new job.
“It’s such a joy to help show all of these amazing students how LaGrange would be a great match for them,” she said. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with very talented people from all areas of the college to make this event happen.”
Miller said Maddox has been an invaluable asset.
“She stepped up to the plate magnificently,” he said. “She has coordinated all of this – from faculty training sessions to overseeing the day’s events. We are so lucky to have her on our team.”
A new tradition is coming to the Hill. President Susanna Baxter announced Thursday that graduating seniors who have received a notice of admission to graduate school or a post-graduation job offer may ring the Chapel bell to celebrate their accomplishment. Students are asked to fill out an online form, and then they will be sent instructions on how to ring the bell. Listen out for more about #LCSoundof Success.
Congratulations to Jaylynn Mangual, Malcolm Rasheed Stephen and Landon Bell for making it to the semifinals in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s Region IV Irene Ryan Acting Award Competition. The region includes the entire Southeast. Theatre Arts Coordinator and Professor Kim Barber Knoll has been nominated for the Innovative Teaching Award and four directing honors for her work with “Medea” and “Antigone.”
Get them before they’re gone! There are only a few LC masks left. For $15 you will receive a mask with $10 counting as a gift, or you can get two for $25 with $15 going to help students. For details, visit l0jb.kongtiao11.com/mask
Check LC Connect for Virtual CE events and instructions. For in-person events, all COVID guidelines apply.
Feb. 10
Pathways to Medical School
A representative of the Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center will discuss the specifics of the Pathways program.
Through Feb. 10
Local Professional Interview Series – Lucinda Muncy, Human Resources
Muncy is Director of Human Resources at LaGrange College.
Young Alumni Virtual Interview Series – Robert Allen ’19, Foreign Affairs
Allen earned his degree in Political Science and served with the Peace Corps until the pandemic. He recently was named a Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow at the U.S. Department of State.
Women’s Soccer
The LaGrange College women's soccer team is ready to take the next step in its evolution, as the Panthers will begin their 2021 season with a 12:30 p.m. game Feb. 13 against Berea at Panther Field.
http://www.lagrangepanthers.com/sports/wsoc/2020-21/releases/20210201ipe98g
Men’s Soccer
After qualifying for the USA South playoffs in three straight years, the LaGrange College men's soccer team is focused on continuing its upward trajectory during the 2021 season.
http://www.lagrangepanthers.com/sports/msoc/2020-21/releases/20210202hpf5p3
Members of the Student Government Executive Board encourage students to continue to be vigilant in the fight against COVID-19.
Panthers continue to thrive at home – LaGrange Daily News, Feb. 1, 2021
http://www.lagrangenews.com/2021/02/01/panthers-continue-to-thrive-at-home/
Category: Academics, Events
Keywords: scholarships
