ATLANTA – State Representative Alisha Thomas Morgan (D-Austell) today announced the establishment of the Morgan Family Scholarship, a higher education scholarship program that is designed to aid young people in the South Cobb County community who attend Pebblebrook High School and South Cobb High Schools. Each year this scholarship will award select students from Austell and Mableton who demonstrate outstanding performance in both the classroom and the community.
“My husband and I have dedicated our lives to ensuring that every child has equal access to quality education,” says Rep. Morgan. “This scholarship allows us to assist promising students in our community with the education they deserve. We are continuously inspired by the young people in the South Cobb community and are delighted to have this opportunity to invest directly into their future.”
This year two scholarship winners, one from each school, will each receive $500 to put toward their education at a college, university, or technical school in Georgia. To qualify for the scholarship, students must have an unmet financial need, a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, be able to show a history of civic engagement and community service, be a graduating senior from either Pebblebrook High School or South Cobb High School, and must be interested in pursuing a major in either education, English, history, international relations, political science, or women/gender studies. Qualified students should submit a complete application packet.
With their application form, students must also submit a personal essay of no more than 500 words, two letters of recommendation, and an official high school transcript. Students may also choose to include a resume with their application. All applications must be received by Friday, May 18, 2012, and should be sent to:
The Morgan Family Scholarship Office of Representative Alisha Thomas Morgan Coverdell Legislative Office Building 18 Capitol Square, Southwest Atlanta, Georgia 30344Scholarship winners will be announced at The Morgan Family Scholarship Awards Breakfast on Saturday, June 9, 2012. The breakfast will begin at 8:00 AM and will be held at the Next Level Sanctuary of the Destiny World Church, 7400 Factory Shoals Road, Austell, Georgia 30168.
As a Georgia lawmaker, Rep. Morgan is a known champion for education reform. In 2009, Rep. Morgan sponsored a bill that allows parents to transfer their children to any public school of their choice within their public school systems. The law has enabled hundreds of students across Georgia to access options in the public school system that better meets their needs.
In addition to her legislative duties, Rep. Morgan also hosts the “Saturdays with My State Rep” program for students attending Pebblebrook High School and South Cobb High School. This program, which has graduated over 40 students since 2009, allows students to receive trainings from community leaders on professional development topics including conducting an effective interview and resume building, entrepreneurship, college success and healthy relationships.
Rep. Morgan’s husband, David L. Morgan, is an educator and advocate for children. After spending more than a decade as a teacher, Morgan made history in November 2008 by becoming the first African-American male to be elected to the Cobb County Board of Education. He began his teaching career with Atlanta’s Head Start program in 1994, and began teaching English at Decatur High School in 1996. While teaching at Decatur, he founded I AM, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provided tutoring, enrichment and mentoring services to more than 500 youths between the ages of five and 16. Morgan is the 2005 recipient of the NAACP’s Education Award. His community involvement includes membership with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Cobb County NAACP.
For more information about The Morgan Family Scholarship, please contact Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan at 404-656-0164.
Since 2003, Alisha Thomas Morgan has represented Georgia’s 39th House District, serving Cobb County. She is the first African-American to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives from Cobb County and currently serves on the Children & Youth, Education, Governmental Affairs, and Health & Human Services committees. Rep. Morgan may be reached at 404-656-0109 or by e-mail at Alisha.Morgan@house.ga.gov.
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