05/26/2022
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: May 26, 2022 Media Contact: Michael Hutcheson, 770-761-9244, [email protected]
Rockdale Coalition Awards 2022 Community Service Scholarships, Dedicates Mural
Two outstanding students invested in community service in Rockdale County were named finalists for the Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families’ 2022 John K. Morgan Scholarship. Of the two finalists, Jaidyn Sawyer, a senior at Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, was named the recipient of the 2022 John K. Morgan Scholarship.
This is the 12th year the Rockdale Coalition has offered the $4,000 scholarship for a student who has demonstrated outstanding community service in Rockdale County and plans to continue that level of commitment while pursuing post-secondary education. The scholarship is named for John K. Morgan, former president and chief executive officer of Acuity Brands Lighting and community advocate.
Since the inception of the John K. Morgan Scholarship, nearly $80,000 has been awarded to deserving students in Conyers and Rockdale County. Finalists for the 2022 John K. Morgan Scholarship are Alexandria Brumlow (Heritage High School) and Jaidyn Sawyer (Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology).
“In light of the events of this past two years, we were thrilled and encouraged to see our applicants still found a way to serve our community in various ways, perhaps when it was needed the most,” said Director of Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families Michael Hutcheson. “The talent and commitment these students have shown throughout their careers by giving so much of their time and gifts to help others in need is to be commended and celebrated.”
Highlights of community service demonstrated by the two finalists include:
• Alexandria Brumlow considers her volunteerism with Keep Conyers Rockdale Beautiful, Community Church of Praise and at C.J. Hicks Elementary School as her most meaningful areas of service.
• Jaidyn Sawyer cites her volunteerism through National Coalition of Black Women, Big Miller Grove Missionary Baptist Church, and Keeping Families Together, Inc., as motivation for community service. In addition to the $4,000 John K. Morgan Scholarship, a $1,000 Rotary Club Community Service scholarship was awarded to Alexandria Brumlow by Rotary Club of Conyers President Moses Kabia. Since the Rockdale Coalition did not hold in-person award receptions for the past two years due to COVID-19, the organization publicly recognized its 2020 William F. Hughey Community Service Award recipient, Ruth A. Wilson, former Rockdale County Clerk of Superior and State Courts, and its 2021 Hughey Award recipient in memoriam, to the family of former Rockdale Coalition Chairman Allan E. Jones at the May 19 scholarship and award recognition reception held at Piedmont Rockdale Hospital. The F. William Hughey Community Service Award is awarded annually to recognize an individual who has demonstrated outstanding, collaborative community service in the Rockdale community. A mural titled “A Life Well Lived” was also dedicated in memory of Allan Jones. The mural was designed and painted by Jennifer Baker of The Sketching Pad and features themes of healthy living, family, and community in the courtyard outside of Building B at Piedmont Rockdale. Funding for the mural was provided by the Hospital Authority of Rockdale County and the Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families. “The mural is not only a vibrant addition to Piedmont Rockdale’s campus, but to our community. We are grateful to Piedmont Rockdale CEO Blake Watts and to Piedmont for offering the location of this mural in memory of a true community servant, Allan Jones,” said Hutcheson. For more information on the scholarship recipients, honorees, or the newest mural in Conyers’ art landscape, call 770-761-9244 or email Michael Hutcheson at [email protected].
