Four REACH Scholars honored with Signing Day Ceremony at William S. Hutchings College & Career Academy

“The opportunity the students have here are just phenomenal and I’m just so proud to see how we identify students in middle school and make a commitment to them, their parents, and the entire community to make sure that we see them succeed from high school and beyond," said Bernard A. Young, Principal of Southwest Magnet High School and Law Academy.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Families and various school administration members were in attendance Thursday as four REACH Scholars were honored with a Signing Day Ceremony at William S. Hutchings College & Career Academy.

Cedric Jackson III from Appling Middle School, Taylor Cruz from Ballard-Hudson Middle School, Elana Evans from Miller Fine Arts Magnet Middle School, and De’Ryan Harris from Rutland Middle School and their parents all signed letters of intent to continue their education.

According to the Bibb County School District, REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) is a Georgia Scholarship Program that was launched as a needs based mentorship designed to encourage students, starting in middle school, to persist in their educational pursuits.

The program was originally launched by Former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal in 2012, and the Bibb County School District has been part of the program since 2016.

“I want to thank you Mrs. Thomas, especially her, she’s the one who signed me up for this. I’m really really grateful for her, she’s done everything for me. I’m proud that I have her,” said Taylor Cruz from Ballard-Hudson Middle School.

Cruz says this is a big opportunity for her family as she has many siblings and is glad that she could do this for her mother. Advice she has for other students is to work hard, never give up, keep your grades up, don’t get in trouble, and look for opportunities that can help you with your education.

“I feel grateful God gave me the chance to receive this scholarship, because other people like me may never get the chance, so I want to help give back to people and go to college as they can’t,” said De’Ryan Harris from Rutland Middle School.

Harris said he wants to go to college to become a dentist while also helping people who can’t afford that type of work. Advice he has for new students coming into the program is to go to Rutland.

“The opportunity the students have here are just phenomenal, and I’m just so proud to see how we identify students in middle school and make a commitment to them, their parents, and the entire community to make sure that we see them succeed from high school and beyond. So making that pledge today is just something I think is very personal and actually intentional, and I think the focus of this type of work is truly a blessing,” said Bernard A. Young, Principal of Southwest Magnet High School and Law Academy, which is also the school Taylor Cruz is heading to.

The Bibb County School District has graduated four groups of scholars so far, as of May 2024, and all REACH Scholars in the district are supported through the Mentor’s Project of Bibb County and Communities in Schools of Central Georgia.

Each scholar will receive a $10,000 scholarship after high school graduation and some partnering colleges and universities in Georgia will match or even double-match the amount.

For more information about the REACH Program, check here.