Vidalia Kiwanis Presents Over $7,000 in Scholarships

Courtesy of the Vidalia Kiwanis Club

This year, the Vidalia Kiwanis Club is proud to have awarded nine scholarships, amounting to $7,500, to graduates from three of our local schools.

Each year, students from Montgomery County High School, Robert Toombs Christian Academy, Toombs County High School, Vidalia Heritage Academy, and Vidalia High School are eligible to apply as well as our local home school graduates. The scholarships are named in honor of the memory of some of our community leaders, and the 2026 recipients are listed below.

The Stephen A. Brown Scholarship

($1,000) was awarded to Vidalia High School graduate Nicholas Matthews.

This scholarship was established by a dear friend of Steve’s in order to honor the 1999 Vidalia Citizen of the Year and a past President of the Vidalia Kiwanis Club, Stephen A. Brown. “Steve” was best known for his unique laugh and his words of encouragement.

The William A. (Jinky) Hooker Scholarship ($1,000) recipient this year is Emerson Powell, who graduated from Toombs County High School. The mother of William A. (“Jinky”) Hooker, III, a sixth-grade student at JR Trippe Middle School at the time of his accidental death in 1987, began this scholarship in his loving memory. This scholarship is awarded to a student attending Brewton-Parker College.

The 2026 Tom P. Hutcheson Scholarship

($1,000) was awarded to Montgomery County High School graduate Evan Hardeman. The Vidalia Kiwanis Club, in order to provide a means for the community to honor one of its distinguished citizens and a Kiwanian, established this scholarship in the name of Tom P. Hutcheson. It is presented in his memory and to honor his term as Superintendent of the Vidalia City Schools for 19 years.

The Kiwanis Club Family Scholarship

($500) was set up in order to recognize the contributions of our local members and is made available to the child(ren) or grandchild(ren) of active or long-time members in good standing of our local club. This year’s recipient is Emily Coleman, a graduate of Vidalia High School and the granddaughter of Kiwanian Brian Frederick.

The R.E. Ledford Scholarship ($1,000) was established by the Vidalia Kiwanis Club in order to honor one of its distinguished former presidents, Roscoe E. Ledford. This year’s scholarship was awarded to Vidalia High School graduate Kalli Jo Roberson.

The Cliff A. Poe Scholarship ($500) is awarded each year to two students, one graduate from Vidalia High School and one graduate from one of the other area schools. This year’s recipients are Maggie Mitchell (VHS), who plans to pursue a degree in Dental Hygiene, and Addyson Shepherd (MCHS), whose goal is to become a Nurse Practitioner. This scholarship was originally named the Kiwanis Club Scholarship but was renamed to the Cliff A. Poe Scholarship to recognize and honor, during his lifetime, its only living charter member. Recipients of this scholarship attend Southeastern Technical College.

The Dr. Larry Smith Scholarship ($1000) was awarded to Sadie Berry, a graduate of Vidalia High School, and was established to provide a means for the community to honor one of its distinguished citizens and a Kiwanian who died an untimely death. Recipients of this scholarship attend Dr. Smith’s alma mater, The University of Georgia.

The J.R. Trippe Scholarship ($1000) was awarded to Kingston Ryals, a graduate of Vidalia High School. This scholarship was established in 1981 by a communitywide committee, which chose to honor the memory of a former Superintendent of the Vidalia City School System by creating a scholarship. The Vidalia Kiwanis Club was asked to be the administrator of the fund, which has provided a scholarship every year since 1982 in honor of Kiwanian J. R. Trippe.

The Dorothy L. Warthen Scholarship

($500) was awarded to Vidalia High School graduate Samantha Hall. In January of 2008, the family of Dorothy Warthen began this scholarship in her honor. Mrs. Warthen faithfully served the community as a teacher in the Vidalia City School System for twenty-two years, and the Vidalia Kiwanis Club was asked to administer the scholarship.

The Vidalia Kiwanis Club is proud of these students and of the people for whom the scholarships were established. Our best wishes go out to the Class of 2026.