VALDOSTA — Six metro Valdosta employees have each been awarded a $1,000 Chick-fil-A Leadership Scholarship as the program marks 30 years of recognizing restaurant employees who excel in the areas of leadership, academics and community involvement.

Winners include Sean Baker, Tina Sauls and Jason Walker of Valdosta, Shannon Weste of Quitman, Nikki Walker of Statenville, and Megan Rife of Lake Park.

Sauls, Walker and Weste all work for Charlie Crews at the freestanding Chick-fil-A restaurant on St. Augustine Road and bring the scholarship total there to six since the location opened in June 2000.

Sauls is majoring in mass communications at Valdosta State University, Walker is studying business at VSU and Weste is attending Valdosta Technical College where she is studying to become a medical assistant.

Employed by Mike White at the location in Lake Park are Walker and Rife, who bring the award total there to $23,000 since the location opened in 1991.

Walker is pre-pharmacy at VSU and Rife is pursuing science at Georgia Military College.

Baker, who is studying marketing management/ accounting at Val Tech, is the fifth employee at the Chick-fil-A restaurant at Colonial Mall Valdosta to receive the honor since the location opened in 1983.

He is employed by Taz Dixon.

Since its inception 30 years ago, the Leadership Scholarship program has awarded more than $18 million in scholarships nationwide. Truett

Cathy, founder and chairman of Chick-fil-A Inc. launched the scholarship program in 1973 as another way to reward hard work and leadership for his employees while encouraging them to seek education beyond high school.

To be eligible, employees must have completed their high school education and possess strong leadership abilities.

In addition, employees must be active in their school and communities, demonstrate a solid work ethic and have proven skills as a team member and leader.