Newspaper Page Text
8A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, October 20,2021
DCJHS celebrates 5 REACH
scholars at signing ceremony
Photos by Erica Jones Dawson County News
Dawson County Junior High School Principal
Brody Hughes stands with the district's 2021-22
REACH scholars during the REACH signing cere
mony on Oct. 15.
REACH Coordinator Nathan Hand talks about the
REACH program to assembled students, parents and
faculty members during the 2021-22 REACH signing
ceremony on Oct. 15.
By Erica Jones
ejones@dawsonnews.com
On Friday Oct. 15,
Dawson County Junior
High School hosted a
signing ceremony for the
school’s five 2021-22
REACH scholars.
The REACH program,
which stands for
“Realizing Educational
Achievement Can
Happen”, is a needs-
based mentorship and
scholarship program that
aims at helping academi
cally promising students
achieve their educational
goals. Beginning in mid
dle school, REACH
scholars are provided
with the financial, aca
demic and social support
they need to graduate
from high school and
have access to college.
This year’s REACH
scholars are Elizabeth
Chameli, Ginneth
Navarro, Sinue “Tito”
Ramirez, Jesus Sadoval
and Taylor White. The
REACH scholars and
their parents attended the
signing ceremony, listen
ing to remarks and
encouragement from
school administrators.
To become REACH
scholars, the five students
were nominated by their
teachers or administra
tors, completed applica
tions and interviewed in
front of a panel before
being selected to repre
sent Dawson County.
Through the REACH pro
gram, they will have the
potential to earn $10,000
each in scholarship
money to be used at any
Georgia, HOPE-eligible
institution, many of
which have previously
matched or triple-
matched the scholarship
amount.
REACH Coordinator
Nathan Hand talked about
the REACH program dur
ing the ceremony,
explaining that the
school’s REACH scholars
must satisfy a list of
requirements in order to
receive the scholarship
money.
“REACH scholars must
commit to maintaining
good behavior, atten
dance, and high academic
standards throughout
their junior high and high
school experiences in
order to remain eligible
for the REACH scholar
ship when they graduate,”
Hand said. “Each scholar
agrees to meet with their
mentor and academic
coach monthly to develop
their goals and discuss
career and educational
success.”
According to Hand, the
goal of the program is to
help students be success
ful through the rest of
junior high and high
school and throughout
college and to be able to
join the workforce as a
successful member of the
community.
“Ideally, we’d like for
our students to be suc
cessful, go off and gradu
ate college and come
back and join our
Dawson County commu
nity and join the work
force, so that’s the ulti
mate goal,” Hand said.
Assistant
Superintendent Nicole
Lecave addressed the
REACH scholars and
their parents during the
ceremony, congratulating
them for being chosen to
be a part of the REACH
program.
“There are 2,400
REACH scholars in the
state of Georgia and $24
million has been commit
ted to these students, so
today when you sign your
commitments you’re
becoming a part of that
very elite group,” Lecave
said to the students and
their parents. “Today you
are investing in your
future and you’re taking
advantage of an awesome
opportunity.”
Lecave told the stu
dents that she and the rest
of the school administra
tion are very proud of
their accomplishments
and that they can’t wait to
see what the students go
on to do next.
“I wanna encourage
you to make good deci
sions, to work hard, and
to ask for help when you
need it,” Lecave said.
“We are extremely excit
ed about the great things
you’ll accomplish as you
go through high school
and also as you go to col
lege.”
At the end of the cere
mony, all of the scholars
and their parents signed
contracts committing to
satisfying the require
ments of the REACH pro
gram and graduating high
school.
Students and their parents sign contracts committing to satisfying the
REACH program requirements and graduating high school during the 2021-
22 REACH signing ceremony on Oct. 15.
IGNITE YOUR
PASSION FOR
ADVENTURE!
Join World’s Best Adventures on
All-Inclusive Backpacking
Adventures n N.C. and Tenn.
Hike Mountains, Learn Backpacking and Camping
Skills, Make Friends and Lasting Memories.
► Waterfall sightseeing trips in Panthertown
Valley, North Carolina
► Beginners Backpacking trips in the Nantahala
National Forest
► Monthly trips to the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park
► Private custom trips for your family and
group outings
All World’s Best Adventures trips are guided by
outdoor professionals and include all equipment,
food, and education.
Trips now running weekly.
Visit World’s Best Adventures at
Assistant Superintendent Nicole Lecave addresses students and their par
ents during the 2021-22 REACH signing ceremony on Oct. 15.
worldsbestadventures.com
for more information and booking details.
All World's ®ej^
Adventure! operations
on National Forest
System Lands are
authorized under
Special Use Permit by
the National Forest
Service.
■m4* Ar