Six SCCPSS students sign mentorship and college scholarships (REACH Georgia)

Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, your 2025-2026 REACH scholars.

Isabella Huynh: This means a lot, and I've been given such an amazing opportunity by my, teachers. This will give me an opportunity for growth and development. I believe this will be essential for my future and I am so excited for it.

Dr. Denise Watts: Our scholars are making a significant commitment to their educations and their future. They are not just signing a piece of paper, they are also signing a promise of hard work, dedication and growth.

Destinee Roberts: Keeping my GPA 2.5 or higher, passing all my classes and if I slack off, ask teachers for help.

Carter Strickland: Responsibilities can't be doing anything bad. Have to have good, attendance. No. Like drugs? No. Anything like that. Overall, be a good student. Be a good person.

Ken Slats: It's not just a simple financial scholarship for these SCCPSS eighth graders. It's a commitment from the district to work together, rewarding students for self accountability, involving parents, and providing motivation and support.

Dr. Derrick Butler: It is a bridge for degrees. Your dreams to degrees and your potential to your purpose. And so I want you to keep that in mind, because you made a commitment today to stay focused, to persevere and to aim higher than you ever have before. But know that you have a lot of support in this room.

Dr. Denise Watts: And we will do so with guidance, with mentorship, and with opportunity. Together, we are building a foundation for success that will truly, truly last a lifetime.

Greidys Cubas Cardona: I'm really thinking, and the law and law like a career in law, especially like I strive to be an immigration lawyer when I grow up. So that's where I'm really focused on.

Isabella Huynh: I am either going into medical school or nursing. I believe that there is a nursing shortage in Georgia, and I would like to assist and be a fundamental part of health care and be a health care leader to assist others.

Ken Slats: Congratulations to these six... Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen or REACH scholars. Each awarded with up to a $10,000 scholarship to be used at a Georgia Hope eligible 2 or 4 year college upon high school graduation.

Dr. Denise Watts: Let's take a moment again to celebrate the lives changed and the futures shape through this program. Let's look ahead with excitement to what's next for each of you.

Ken Slats: Reporting for SCCPSS, I'm Ken Slats.