Scholarships
Two area students awarded Braselton Rotary Club scholarships
Two area students are recipients of the Braselton Rotary Club’s 2017 scholarships.
The Braselton Rotary Club awards two $1,000 scholarships each year for up to four years for undergraduate study or up to two years for an associate’s degree. Matthew Ellett, a Jackson County Comprehensive High School graduate, and Madeline Gann, a Mill Creek High School graduate, received this year’s scholarships and were recognized at the club’s June 22 meeting.
Matthew Ellett earned a 96.8 grade-point-average and was ranked 25th in his class at JCCHS. He also completed the architecture pathway at JCCHS.
Ellett was ranked in the top 10 percent of his graduating class and he’s excelled outside the classroom, too. He was a member of several extracurricular clubs in high school, some of which included marching band and 4-H.
Ellett was a member of the district 4-H board of directors and led the team in the cotton bowl consumer judging event. He was also a member of the 4-H Robotics Team which made it to the national competition this year.
Ellett’s teachers described him as having a “servant heart” and said his “enthusiasm is contagious.”
“When I think of words to describe Matthew, he is: immaculate, dynamic, trustworthy, kind and insightful,” one of Ellett’s teachers said.
Others said he is a problem-solver and thinks outside the box.
“He is going to be one of those students who changes history or creates something that is revolutionary,” one teacher said.
Ellett eventually wants to tackle the world’s water crisis and ensure safe drinking water is available to communities, he told the Braselton Rotary Club.
He plans to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology this fall and major in material science and engineering.
Ellett said plans to hit the ground running at Georgia Tech this fall with plans to join several clubs including the 4-H program that is being introduced this year.
Madeline Gann earned a 3.761 GPA at MCHS. She plans to attend the University of West Georgia this fall and major in education.
Gann’s teachers described her as “one of the most exceptional students” and a “genuinely good and caring person.”
“Her heart for serving others shines bright,” one teacher said.
Others said she is a “natural leader” along with being “funny and trustworthy” and “strong, confident and kind-hearted.”
Gann was a member of various clubs at MCHS and was the president of the Interact Club. A friend first introduced Gann to the Interact Club and she won the presidency by one vote.
Gann said she knew she had “a lot to prove” in her new role.
Soon after she was elected president, the club was charged with raising donations for victims of the Louisiana floods. They packed a whole trailer with the donations they raised.
Gann said that project was the “spark that started it all.”
Since then, the club has participated in several other community-centered projects including “adopting” local families for Christmas.
Gann said being a part of the Interact Club has helped her further develop her leadership skills. Those are skills she hopes to pass on to the children she teaches in the future.