Local student wins scholarship, among top prize in country

PERRY — A local student has won part of a national prize aimed at helping students achieve a brighter future.

Evalee Nash, a graduating senior from Perry High School, has been awarded a $2,500 scholarship from WoodmenLife, a national life insurance company. She was one of just 15 recipients of the second-place scholarship, selected from 600 students nationwide. The top prize, which is awarded to three students, amounts to $10,000.

Nash was thrilled to receive recognition.

“I can’t really express how much it means to me. I’m just so grateful for this opportunity that I have, and that WoodmenLife has given me,” she said.

Dennis Powers, Georgia South Regional Director for WoodmenLife, said Nash checked many boxes for scholarship selection: excellent grades and extracurricular activities, but what made her unique was her heart for the community.

“[She’s] an outstanding leader and student in her church as well. But what sets her apart is her community involvement. She’s involved in a lot of things that take up a lot of hours outside of the school day. That’s what differentiated her, and that’s a big thing WoodmenLife looks at is the volunteer community service aspect,” he said.

According to Powers, the scholarship program started in 2017 as a way to give back to the company’s young members. To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must have a family entirely enrolled in a WoodmenLife policy and must be in good standing for a minimum of three years.

The company has awarded over $3 million in scholarships, with approximately $80,000 designated for the South Georgia Regional Area, which stretches from Savannah to Columbus and then north to Warner Robins.

Despite being a nationwide company, WoodmenLife seeks to make a local impact, as Powers explained.

“Our communities are where we got to make a difference, grassroots level, honoring this next generation, like Evalee represents, trying to help them, because college expenses are so expensive. So this scholarship program is a big commitment to that,” he said.

Nash said she plans to attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College to study biology in hopes of becoming a veterinarian.