Six nontraditional female students at the University of North Georgia (UNG), including one from Gainesville, each earned a $2,000 scholarship from the Women of UNG and other supporters, including alumni and supportive women from the community. UNG honored the recipients at the Women’s Holiday Scholarship Luncheon. The Women of UNG is a shared interest group of the UNG Alumni Association.
“Never Forget the Impact You Make” was the theme for the event, and while this was the 16th year scholarships were provided, the luncheon celebrated 22 years of its existence. It initially started to show appreciation to the women of the Gainesville community who had donated or been strong advocates for female students at what was then Gainesville State College.
This year’s scholarship recipients included Cristin Gibson, Bianca Hurt, Dykejiah Jones, Madison Lussier, Shannon Rapier, and Melody Rodriguez.
Gibson, a junior from Gainesville, is pursuing a degree in strategic and security studies with an intelligence concentration and a minor in Russian. She applied for the scholarship because at age 26 her financial aid and Hope Scholarship options were no longer available. Being awarded the scholarship “was like a weight lifted off my chest.”
Being in the presence of so many other strong women at the luncheon further cemented Gibson’s determination.
“We all have something to overcome, but we all have something to give. I don’t feel like I have to hide,” Gibson said. “A lot of people say you can overcome hardships. But UNG makes that a reality. They don’t just say that. It’s not some empty compliment. It is a promise that you can see through action, and that means something to me.”
The Women’s Educational Scholarship Fund is accepting monetary gifts for the upcoming academic year, and donations can be made online or by emailing the scholarship luncheon coordinator, Kimberly Miller, at kimberly.miller@ung.edu.
