Butler County Education Retirees Association bestows scholarships

Published 7:02 pm Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Three recent alumni of the Butler County School System received a bit of financial help courtesy of the Butler County Education Retirees Association before heading to college.

Georgiana School graduate Tylishia Walton, McKenzie School graduate and valedictorian Ashley Lynch and Greenville High School graduate and salutatorian Jarod Powell each received scholarships from the retirees association to use for tuition, books or any expense they deem necessary.

The private room of Shoney’s echoed with applause for the graduates Tuesday morning as a number of retirees offered congratulations, including Butler County Education Retirees Association president Wayne Boswell.

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“We commend you for your work, we expect you to go forward and we charge you to continue to find yourselves in higher education,” Boswell said.

“This is the first day of the rest of your life,” said Pauline George, the Alabama Education Retirees Association Area 2 East coordinator. “Whatever you do, do the best that you can in your future endeavors. 

“Always be open to knowledge from one of us senior citizens,” she added with a laugh. “We can always share something that can shed light on whatever it is that you’re facing.”

Boswell added that because the Butler County Education Retirees Association’s membership has grown, and also because its members have donated more money towards the scholarship, the fund has grown from $300 apiece in years past to $500.

Soon-to-be retiree Amy Bryan, superintendent of Butler County Schools, was also honored Tuesday with a certificate of membership, boosting the association’s already growing ranks into triple-digit territory.

Tylishia Walton plans to go to Faulkner, where she’ll study pre-med.  Eventually, her plans are to transfer to UAB to become an obstetrics nurse

Jarod Powell plans to attend Huntingdon beginning in August, where he’ll major in biology for his pre-dentistry program before going to either UAB or Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry

Ashley Lynch will be attending Lee University, where she’ll study either graphic design or information systems.