After sorting and reviewing applications and recommendations that were submitted over a period of several weeks, the Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District awarded its 2020 $1000 scholarships to Emily Jolley and Gracelyn Lance, seniors at Landrum High School.
With their applications, students were required to prepare an essay of 200 words or more describing their experience(s) with community service and how it impacted them as students and citizens.
The contest was open to any high school seniors living within the Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District service area or attending Landrum High School. This allowed for inclusion of public school, private school, and homeschool students. They were required to have a minimum 3.0 GPA, recommendation letters, and attend college in the fall semester of 2020.
Emily Jolley has a 3.7 GPA and plans to attend the College of Charleston Honors College and double major in Political Science and Chemistry. She was also a student of the Scholars Academy at USC-Upstate.
A member of the Landrum High School track team, Emily volunteers at Chosen Children Ministries, First Baptist Church- Landrum Weekday Preschool, and as a tutor for the Scholars Academy.
Emily was characterized by her teachers as compassionate, enthusiastic, self-motivated, resilient, and intellectually driven for excellence.
Emily wrote in her essay, “Ultimately, I have learned from my community service activities, that loving people is so much more important than material things and leads to a more joy-filled life, true compassion leads to action, and that the struggles in life are universal.”
Gracelyn Lance has a 3.97 GPA and plans to attend Anderson University to major in Elementary Education with an add-on Certification in Secondary Education.
She was a member of the Varsity Cheer Competition Team, Varsity Football and Basketball Cheer Teams, and Varsity Soccer. Gracelyn was also Senior Class Vice-President.
Gracelyn volunteers as a Spout Leader at The Well and works part-time at IGA in Tryon.
Gracelyn was characterized by her teachers as very responsible and hard-working, mature, determined, dependable, polite, friendly, and with a sunny disposition
Gracelyn wrote in her essay, “These are the very qualities that I believe make me a good leader. I am someone who always puts everyone before me. I love for people to be able to depend on me; I always want everyone to know that if they call, I’ll be there.”
Congratulations Emily and Gracelyn and the entire Class of 2020.
The Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District is expected to award up to two scholarships next year. Applications and details will be available at LandrumFire.com in the fall of 2020.
IMAGE CREDIT: Spartanburg School District One on Facebook