The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Scholarships Newsletter 

 If you were to ask any high school counselor, I imagine they would agree that the characterization of “Madness” really should go to the month of October instead of March. The mad dash to meet all of the various application needs, parents’ questions, students’ nerves, and school programming of October is enough to send any counselor over the edge. But the good news is that we are just days from the November 1st deadline, and there is light at the end of the tunnel! 

In the craziness that is October, I hope to bring a reminder of the work we do with an amazing story of not just one student’s success, but with a set of twins. Since a majority of the scholarship funds at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee are renewable, we have the honor of following many students throughout their collegiate journey and tracking their success. As counselors, we are not supposed to have favorites, but this story may be one of my favorites. 

Princesse & Shelton Hawkins have received at least one scholarship from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee for each year they have been enrolled at Tennessee State University. Princesse and Shelton have received over $61,000 from two scholarship funds managed by the CFMT. These students can graduate debt-free due to generous donors right here in their own backyard. 

In the absolute craziness that is October, I hope you are not only taking time for yourself but also taking time to remind yourself of these student stories. We all have a Princesse and Shelton story. Think back on those when the work gets heavy. When talking to Princesse about the scholarships she has received, she credited her high school counselor for letting her know about the CFMT application. The power you have in changing a student’s life is endless. I hope you always know the impact of your work and how thankful we are at the CFMT to partner with you in helping students achieve their educational goals. 

Please take a moment to read through the story written by Franklin Thurlow, our Communications Associate, that was published for our 2022 Annual Report. There is also a video of the interview linked below for you to watch or share as well. 

-Kelly Pietkiewicz

kellyp@cfmt.org 

LaHaunn Moore Hope Scholarship Fund

This is a renewable scholarship for students pursuing a 2-year or 4-year degree. Students eligible to apply are students enrolling in a technical school program, community college, or university/college. Applicants must be graduating from a MNPS school with preference given to students from Pearl-Cohn High School. Applicants must be in good academic standing with a minimum 2.8 GPA. The fund is need-based and students must demonstrate leadership in their school/community, participation in extracurricular activities, experience in a job, and/or balancing home responsibilities.

The Lowell Hill, Virginia Wilson Hill and Pegine Hill Memorial Scholarship Fund

Applicants will be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree and majoring in education, theology, music, film, historic preservation/public history, or the fine arts. Applicants will need to be well-rounded and in good academic standing demonstrated by a minimum of a 3.0 GPA. Applicants must demonstrate financial need in their application which will be the primary factor for the committee to consider.

SRVH Scholarship Fund

Applicants must be enrolled in a technical school program, community college, or 4-year university/college. A preference will be given to students expressing an interest in a career in the legal field. The GPA minimum for this renewable scholarship is 2.5 for technical or community college and 3.0 for a 4-year university.