VALDOSTA – Lowndes County Schools recognized five eighth graders as their seventh cohort of REACH Georgia Scholars just before Christmas Break.

REACH, an acronym for Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen, is the State of Georgia’s first needs-based mentorship and college scholarship program. It provides promising students the support to graduate from high school and achieve postsecondary success.

Interested students obtained and completed applications early into their eighth-grade year. Candidates went through a rigorous interview process before being selected. Just five students system-wide were named recipients of the scholarship: Amaya Anderson, Carlos Dominguez Gutierrez, Yaelis Davila, Lydia Fletcher, and Lynda Spires.

Students were surprised with a signing ceremony among their peers, LCS district leaders, their family members, and a giant $10,000 check with their name on it.

REACH Scholars are held to a high academic standard, must exhibit positive behavior, and maintain good attendance. All of this is monitored not only by school officials but also by their mentors, whom they meet with often.

Should the student meet these standards through their high school career, they are awarded the $10,000 scholarship to a HOPE-eligible college or university in the State of Georgia. The funds have the opportunity to be doubled or tripled depending on the institution.

Amaya Anderson (Lowndes Middle School) enters the program with praise from her teachers for her determination. She hopes the REACH scholarship can help her get into a top nursing program in college.

Yaelis Davila (Pine Grove Middle School) aspires to major in veterinary science and minor in business when she gets to college. Her teachers describe her as kind and caring, and say she “brings out the best in others and has the potential to be a great leader.”

Carlos Dominguez-Gutierrez’s (Lowndes Middle School) teachers say he demonstrates exceptional responsibility in the classroom. His self-drive is sure to help him achieve his goal of becoming a cardiologist one day.

Lydia Fletcher (Hahira Middle School) sees herself attending the University of Georgia or Georgia Southern, pursuing a degree in the medical field. Her teachers say, “Lydia will be successful in anything she does; she is a perfectionist!”

Lynda Spires (Lowndes Middle School) aspires to attend Valdosta State University to earn her undergraduate degree before heading to a school of medicine to study neurology. Her teachers have no doubt that this will become a reality for her, as she is described as bright and conscientious.