ATLANTA – As part of a REACH Statewide Signing Day, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Superintendent Meria J. Carstarphen welcomed 16 students into the Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH) Georgia scholarship program for the 2014-2015 school year. The APS REACH scholars, comprised of eighth and ninth grade students from across the district, signed scholarship contracts along with their parents during a ceremony this morning in the presence of their principals.
Atlanta Public Schools Deputy Superintendent David Jernigan (first row, left), Superintendent Meria J. Carstarphen (first row, right), Ed.D and Counseling Coordinator Kenya J. Gilliard, Ph.D. (second row left) welcome the inaugural APS REACH Georgia Scholars for the 2014-15 school year, as part of a statewide signing day ceremony. Photo Credit: Scott Clark King, APS
The APS Inaugural REACH Georgia Scholars are:
| APS REACH Scholars – Class of 2019 (Eighth-Grade Students) | |
| Quintavious Yarborough | Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School |
| Bah Mouhamed | B.E.S.T. Academy Middle School |
| Angela Stephens | Ralph J. Bunche Middle School |
| William Flanagan, IV | Samuel M. Inman Middle School |
| Elyjah Williams | Martin Luther King Middle School |
| Emily Weaver | Crawford M. Long Middle School |
| Naafiah Hennie | Luther J. Price Middle School |
| Tori Priest | Young Middle School |
| APS REACH Scholars – Class of 2018 (Ninth-Grade Students) | |
| Jamonte Kearse | Carver Early College High School |
| William Chaney | Carver School of Health Science and Research |
| DaQuesha McKinnon | Carver School of The Arts |
| Kiara Underwood | Frederick Douglass High School |
| Mariah White | Maynard Holbrook Jackson High School |
| Ja’Terious Stokes | South Atlanta School of Computer Animation & Design |
| Cameron Smith | Daniel M. Therrell High School |
| Cameron Bolden | Booker T. Washington High School |
As a part of the scholarship program, the students signed contracts to maintain a 2.5 grade point average, remain free of crime, drug, and behavior issues and meet with a volunteer mentor until they graduate from high school. Their parents or guardians also signed contracts to support their student’s education. When the REACH scholars graduate from high school, they will receive up to a $10,000 scholarship — $2,500 each year for up to four years to be used at a HOPE eligible Georgia two- or four-year college/university. Many colleges have matched the REACH scholarship and some have doubled the amount to provide scholars with additional resources for their college education.
About the REACH Georgia Scholarship Program
Launched in 2012, the REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) Georgia Scholarship Program is a key program of Governor Nathan Deal’s Complete College Georgia Initiative. The needs-based mentorship and scholarship program is designed to encourage students, starting in middle school, to persist in their educational pursuits. Students are provided with the academic, social, and financial support needed to graduate from high school, access college, achieve post-secondary success, and be prepared for the 21st Century workforce.
About Atlanta Public Schools:
Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 50,000 students across 106 learning sites. The district is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 87 schools, 17 charter schools and two citywide single-gender academies, where students are offered rigorous instructional programs that foster success in school and life. For more information, visit www.atlantapublicschools.us
