LHS Class of '77 Leadership Scholarship Recipient for 2023 Kollin Greaten Congratulations goes out to Kollin Greaten as this year's recipient of the LHS Class of '77's Leadership Scholarship. Our class scholarship targets students that exhibit leadership qualities making them an individual others can truly look up to and possibly even emulate. This year's recipient has faced a multitude of challenges throughout his entire life and, by his own accord, had made mistakes and at one point even admits hitting rock bottom. In his scholarship essay, he stated:
"Mistakes breed new challenges. These challenges are the healthiest and most beneficial of them all, because no reward is waiting for you upon completion. These [challenges] can be the hardest to overcome, however it also means they benefit you the most. The well-known saying,'Once you hit rock bottom there is nowhere to go but up'...emerges from this concept. You find yourself at the lowest point in your life, asking yourself what you should do now. You think back and regret all the decisions you made up to this point. You think everything you did was a mistake, that maybe even you are the mistake. You picture yourself sitting at the bottom of a deep, dark ravine. Then something clicks, it feels as if a broken gear in your brain suddenly starts shifting again. This newfound glimmer of hope is your new and improvided mindset. Suddenly it changes, and now you view your "mistakes" as blessings that can guide you to a better life. You realize that the only way to start climbing back up is to question how you got down so low." Our committee believed there's a lesson in these words for everyone, and that, in and of itself, makes our recipient a leader. Aside from this, he achieved a 4.037 GPA while volunteering at his church and as a math tutor to other students as a member of Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society and the National Honor Society along with maintaining a job throughout his high school career. After graduation, he hopes to attend the University of Central Florida and focus on Digital Marketing as a major. For these reasons, Kollin was selected as the receipient of our class scholarship for 2023. Our class is one of only a handful that awards at least one yearly scholarship through the Polk Education Foundation. Our scholarship is not based soley on GPA, but rather focuses on the leadership qualities the student demonstrates. Our scholarship is announced to LHS Seniors beginning in December and applications are closed out in April. If you know of any LHS Senior that excels in leadership, please encourage them to apply for our class scholarship.
Requirements as listed on the PEF Web site: GPA: 2.5; SAT/ACT 1530/23; Community Service Hours: 200. If you'd like to make a donation to help fund our scholarship, you can make a check payable to our general account - Class of '77 Reunion - and make sure to indicate it is specifically for the scholarship. Mail checks directly to: Mike Carter P.O. Box 580 Live Oak, FL 32064 If you'd like to be a part of the Scholarship Selection Committee, contact Chairperson Mary E. Richard as the help is always appreciated. To reach Mary: Email: maryroberto@embarqmail.com Cell: 321-277-3657 2023 Scholarship Committee Mary E. Richard, Chair Denise Barnett Phillips Beth Guskay Suki Westra Janisch Nancy Calabro Stone Robin Horton Sechrest |
