The Peyton Anderson Foundation awarded 23 Bibb County graduating seniors with scholarships today at a luncheon at Middle Georgia State University. This is the ninth year that the Foundation has helped fund college tuition for deserving students in the Central Georgia community.

The luncheon and awards ceremony included keynote speaker Georgia’s First Lady Sandra Deal, wife of the Governor of Georgia.

"I am proud of these Bibb County scholars, who are working to improve their education and consequently their lives and the lives of their future families. My congratulations to them for being chosen for this scholarship,” she said. “I trust they will be good representatives of their county and our state of Georgia as they continue their education using the scholarship set aside by the Peyton Anderson Foundation.”

The Peyton Anderson Scholarship is renewable for up to four years. Recipients must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and perform volunteer service in their home or campus communities. The Foundation maintains regular contact with each of the students during their college tenure and continues to maintain support with an alumni network.

“We are always inspired by our scholarship recipients,” said Karen Lambert, president of the Peyton Anderson Foundation. “These highly promising Bibb County students are committed to excellence in all they do – from their hard work in the classroom to their commitment to service. They honor Mr. Anderson’s legacy and our community with their bright futures ahead.”

Mercer Chancellor and Peyton Anderson Foundation Trustee Dr. R. Kirby Godsey awarded the Juanita T. Jordan Community Service Leadership Award for 2017-2018 to Ciara Gabrielle Long, currently a student at the University of Georgia. She is a Peyton Anderson Scholar from the Class of 2014.