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41 AHS seniors earn diplomas, scholarships

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By Melinda L. Lucas

In a “socially distant” ceremony that looked much different than most Albany graduations in recent years, dozens of local scholarships were presented to members of the Albany High School Class of 2020 during commencement exercises held last Saturday morning, May 23.

The event was held at the Robert Nail Memorial Stadium, planned quickly but thoroughly over a two-week period after school officials decided that the 41 AHS seniors could receive their diplomas in person and still comply with the state’s newest COVID-19 restrictions.

Award Details

There were well over 100 separate awards for the class of 41, with some scholarships split among more than one recipient, adding up to almost $130,000 for the first year alone, not counting any amounts promised for subsequent years, which would come closer to a $250,000 total.

The awards were given by about 40 local churches, clubs, organizations, foundations and individuals. 

The oldest of the awards is the Robert Nail Scholarship given by the Ex-Students Association for the first time in 1967 for a total of $100.  

One of the newest of the donating organizations is the Albany ISD Education Foundation, which in its 11th year is giving 25 scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each per year. Students can reapply each semester that they remain in an eligible university or trade school.

The Henry Martin Rockwell Endowment Fund administers several scholarships, the largest in  honor of John and Nell Carter. This year, there were 10 $2,000 scholarships from that fund alone, totaling $20,000.

The largest single scholarship is given in memory of Sam Tidwell, with $5,000 given each semester for four years.

Another memorial scholarship, awarded in memory of Jim Law, totals almost $19,000 over a four-year period.

Commencement 

The 2020 graduates entered onto Faith Field at Nail Stadium from beneath the large inflatable “A” used at football games. They were seated six feet apart on both sides of the stage,facing a crowd on the home side that was limited to 10 family members or guests per senior.

The guests were screened when they came in the gate, and were escorted to assigned seating by ushers and AISD staff members.

Class valedictorian Addison Asher and salutatorian Jaleigh Morales each addressed those attending the event. 

After the presentation of honor students and scholarship awards, the 41 members of the class received their diplomas from Albany High School principal Edward Morales along with Albany ISD board president Robert Montgomery and counselor Jenny Scott. 

Scholarships

Awards given to graduating seniors during the 2020 graduation ceremony include the following:

•Lions Club Scholarship, $1,000 to Jaleigh Morales

•Kiwanis Club Scholarships, three at $1,500 each to Tyler Beard, Blaine Kayga, and Taylor Scott

•Fandangle Scholarships, two at $250 each semester to Tyler Beard and Blaine Kayga; three at $175 each semester to B.J. Morris, Taylor Scott, and Madelyn Connally

•Kevin Ruff Memorial Scholarship administered by the Church of Christ, $750 to Maxwell Balliew

•Xi Chi Pi Scholarship, $1,000 to Aubrey Moon

•J.B. Montgomery Jr. Memorial Scholarship given through First Christian Church, $1,000 to Aubrey Moon

•Robert Nail Ex-Student Scholarships, two at $1,500 each to Blaine Kayga and B.J. Morris

•The City of Albany - Henry Martin Rockwell Endowment Scholarship - First National Bank Albany/Breckenridge, $5,000 to the Valedictorian Addison Asher

•The City of Albany - Henry Martin Rockwell Endowment Scholarship - First National Bank Albany/Breckenridge, $5,000 to the Salutatorian Jaleigh Morales

•Mary/Martha Permanent Endowed Scholarship given by the late Marguerite and I.M. Chism, administered by the First Baptist Church,  $1,500 to Julia Bowman

•First Baptist Church Scholarship, $1,000 to David Hardin

•City of Albany - Henry Martin Rockwell Endowment Fund - John E. and Nellie K. Carter Scholarships, 10 at $2,000 each to Aubrey Moon, Alayna Koemel, Gracie LeMay, Taylor Scott, Maxwell Balliew, Tyler Beard, Seth Hale, Alyssa Zuniga, Kydie Edwards, and Julia Bowman

•Albany PTO Scholarships, three at $1,000 each to Tyler Beard, Julia Bowman and Taylor Scott

•Shelley Cleveland Memorial Scholarship, $1,500 to Ben West

•Bill Webb Memorial Student Fund, Rev. J.A. Owen Scholarship, $400 to the Valedictorian Addison Asher

•Bill Webb Memorial Student Fund, Rev. J.A. Owen Scholarship, $200 to the Salutatorian Jaleigh Morales

•Iron-Bars, Inc. Scholarship, administered through the Old Jail Art Center selected from Junior Docents or an applicate of fine arts, $500 to Carley Green

•AZE Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Scholarships given in memory of Joanna Sullivan, two at $500 each to Alyssa Zuniga and Ivie Zuniga

•Alice Edington Memorial Scholarship administered through the First Baptist Church, $1,000 to David Hardin

•John and Carol Huffman Memorial Scholarships, $1,000 each to Julia Bowman and Tyler Beard

•Albany Study Club Scholarships, two at $400 each to Julia Bowman and Brayden Sullivan

•The Feed Store Scholarships, one at $500 to Tyler Beard, and eight at $200 each to Max Balliew, David Hardin, Blaine Kayga, Alayna Koemel, Jaleigh Morales, B.J. Morris and Taylor Scott

•Joe Foran Scholarship in Honor of Jane Hooker, Doris Miller and Don Fitzgibbons $2,500 each (given the next four years) to Blaine Kayga

•Billy Wayne Boland and Son Memorial Scholarship administered through the First Baptist Church, $1,500 to B.J. Morris

•Turner/Williams Memorial Scholarships given by the Lower Clear Fork of the Brazos, five in the amount of $1,000 each to Tyler Beard, Gracie LeMay,Blaine Kayga, Brayden Sullivan, and Alayna Koemel

•Masonic Lodge Scholarships, four at $1,000 each to Kydie Edwards, Blaine Kayga, Alayna Koemel, and B.J. Morris

•Sedwick/Rockwell Nursing Scholarship given through First National Bank, two at $500 each to Maxwell Balliew and Caitlyn Holson

•The Bruce Stovall Memorial Scholarship, $1,000 to Tyler Beard

•The Sam and Ellen Webb Albany Heritage Scholarship, $1,000 to Taylor Scott

•The Lioness Club Scholarship, $500 to Brayden Sullivan

•Friendship Baptist Church Scholarship, $500 each to Colby Hargett in Memory of Patsy and Bobby Key and Riley Caudel in Memory of Alan Oden

•The Albany Softball Association Scholarships, $400 each to Caitlyn Holson and Aubrey Moon, and one at $200 to Kydie Edwards

•Garcia Memorial Scholarships, $500 each to Tyler Beard, Julia Bowman, and Brayden Sulllivan

 •The Doug Neece Scholarship, $1,000 to Conner Clark

•The Roy “Hi” Allen (employee of Albany ISD for 30 years) Memorial Scholarship, $1,000 to Tyler Allen Beard

•The Jim Law Memorial Meat Science Scholarship, $2373.75 per semester for four years for a total of $18,990 to Alayna Koemel

The Keith and Steve Carlile Memorial Scholarship, $250 to Riley Caudel

The Danny Beard Class of 1961 Memorial Scholarship, $1,000 to Tyler Beard

•The Hugh and Joanna Ayres Scholarship, The Laura Eliott Scholarship, The Wylie Scholarship, administered by the Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church, $,1500 each to Seth Hale, Gracie LeMay, Aubrey Moon, and Taylor Scott

•The Sam Tidwell Memorial Scholarship, $5,000 a semester for four years to Brayden Sullivan.

•The Task Force Scholarships, $500 each to Seth Hale and Taylor Scott

•Albany ISD Education Foundation Scholarships, 25 at $1,000 each, to be given $500 per semester, to Addison Asher, Maxwell Balliew, Tyler Beard, Julia Bowman, Kasey Cauble, Riley Caudel, Madelyn Connally, Mollie Dotson, Kydie Edwards, Carley Green, Seth Hale, Caitlyn Holson, Blaine Kayga, Alayna Koemel, Gracie LeMay, Aubrey Moon, Jaleigh Morales, Trissity Morgan, B.J. Morris, Jonathan Queen-Phillips, Taylor Scott, Brayden Sullivan, Ben West, Alyssa Zuniga, and Ivie Zuniga